The forecast for this morning called for rain. I happily planned to sleep in. Owing two huskies often thwarts such plans. When I let them out, there were stars to be seen. There was a thick fog over the Connecticut River, but clear skies above. The Middleton’s – the loons that live on the pond between the other two ponds – pond is a few hundred feet above the Connecticut. Hoping for some mood shots, I packed up and headed out.
The pond had a moderate fog and flat water. I had guessed correctly. There was no shortage of Canada geese on the pond. I noticed nine nests while I was exploring.
It didn’t take long to find the loons, they were in one of their favorite coves. And sleeping in. And they continued to sleep in…. After a time, they began to stir. They both did a very quick preen and stretched their legs. Before giving a good wing stretch to get things going. Loons on this pond have often nested in this cove. Two years ago, they relocated the nest. This morning, they took a quick tour around the old nest site, poking into the brush and hooting to each other.
When loons are courting, they’ll swim quickly along side each other, softly hooting to each other, and they’ll make synchronized dives. This morning, our pair made a quick courting display before heading off to breakfast.
With the loons off having breakfast, I spent some time exploring the marsh. Warblers are back, the pond was surrounded by yellow-rumped warblers and common yellowthroats. I saw a black & white warbler – briefly. And, the spider webs were covered in dew and standing out. Before I could concentrate on photographing warblers, bigger things were afoot.
A bald eagle that had been sitting out of my sight dove on the pond, coming up empty. I wasn’t quick enough to get the camera around for the dive. He? landed in a tree overlooking the pond and I settled in to wait for the next dive. The osprey on the pond have returned to their nest and were not in the mood to welcome an eagle. One of the osprey came in and dove at the sitting eagle. The osprey came in close to the eagle. I’m glad I wasn’t on the business end of the talons. The osprey pulled up and came around again. The eagle was standing higher and calling louder this time. That didn’t discourage the osprey. The osprey made five dives at the eagle. The eagle held his ground. The osprey headed down the pond towards the nest. Having proved he could hold his ground (hold his tree?), the eagle sat for a time before flying off to a new perch – out of sight of the osprey. He eventually came back, dove for a fish and missed. Settling in a new tree, the osprey started in on him again.
The loons would be rooting for the osprey. Osprey’s diet is almost exclusively fish, they leave the loons alone, while eagles are a very real threat to loon families.
My luck with the weather ran out. A few raindrops remined me that the huskies needed their morning run. I had the boat packed up and was pulling out of the parking spot when the rain hit. The huskies enjoyed romping in the mud when they got their run.
Let’s round up the usual suspects. I finally had time to get the kayak in the water and have ventured to a couple of the local waterholes. Let’s see who I’ve found.
Geese seem to be everywhere near the water this time of year. Lots of them coming & going or squabbling over territory. Here’s one inbound. Another goose outbound.One of a pair of geese that landed near what another pair of geese considered their territory. This goose left in a hurry. Go away!, he explained. Lesser yellowlegs foraging along the bank.A swamp sparrow surveying the territory. A male yellow-rumped warbler, aka ‘butterbutt’ and lots of his friends have been out gleaning along the water’s edge.Mrs. Butterbutt thinks nabbing a tasty bug is as easy as falling off a branch.Elvis, the kingbird, is back for the season. I was headed upstream when I met a muskrat coming downstream.A turkey vulture circling overhead.An adult bald eagle flew down the river, briefly silencing the geese.A murder of crows escorting a red-tailed hawk from the premises.The crows seemed pretty insistent that the hawk move along. I was lurking peacefully in the reeds when this bittern let out a pump-er-lunk just a few feet from me. This beaver escorted me from one end of his pond to the other, slapping all the way.The beaver put on a good show. This is just after the tail slap, just a foot remains above water. A common gallinule appeared – briefly – from the reeds.And a male red-winged blackbird claiming his territory. There was a pair of loons foraging on the pond Sunday evening. That’s the beaver in the foreground. The loons seemed unimpressed by his tail slapping. A local common loon heads out on some errand. Loons are excellent fliers, but have to run across the water for many yards to get enough speed for liftoff.Our outbound loon had to circle the pond a couple times to gain enough altitude to get over the hills surrounding the pond.A loon stretching. That’s the beaver in the background.
I’ll be following a couple loon families throughout the summer, along with other critters. Sign up for notifications to follow along.
