An Update on the Eastons and Westons

On July 13, 2025 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

OK, a long overdue update on the Eastons and Westons. My apologies, I set a new record and managed to disable all three of my PCs at once. It has been a long week….

The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair is coming up August 2nd to the 10th at the Mount Sunapee Resort. I’ll be there with prints, cards and 2026 calendars. I’m in Tent 7, stop by and have a look.

Want a quick and simple way to help our loons? Every year, the loon conservation organizations conduct a census of the loons in their area on the third Saturday of July. The idea is to get observers on every likely loon territory at the same time. The more territories observed, the better the accuracy of the count. The census is taken between 8 and 9 am – a fairly tight window to keep from over or undercounting loons that travel. You can help by volunteering to check a lake or pond that needs an observer. If you’re volunteering in New Hampshire, see the info on the Loon Preservation Committee’s site here. Vermonters can find information on the Vermont Center for EcoStudies’ site here. Other states will be participating. If you’re interested in helping and can’t find your state’s info with a web search, let me know, I’ll try to track it down. The LPC is also hosting their Loon Festival after the count – starting at 10am – at the Loon Center, 183 Mill Road in Moultonborough, NH. Free, family friendly and open to everyone. Info here.

I spent several hours with both the families last weekend, but came away with few photos. Mr. Easton was still sitting on the nest. Mom spent the morning leisurely cruising and foraging around the pond. There were a number – something like six or eight – beavers working late into the morning.

The closest we came to excitement was when Mrs. Easton alerted to something. She looked around for a few moments before relaxing and going on with her business. I never figured out what caught her attention.

At one point, Mrs. Easton cruised not far from me and took time to check me out. Shortly afterwards, one of the beavers started slapping repeatedly.

A young buck had come down to the waterline to graze. The beaver apparently thought the snacks should be his and started the slapping.

I must have been clearly visible and there wasn’t much wind. I was surprised the buck didn’t object to my being there. He spent almost half an hour grazing along the shore, looking up occasionally to keep an eye on me. He ignored the beaver.

Dad seemed content to sit and watch the world.

Dad eventually tucked in for a nap. Look above him to the right of the brush. All those black spots are insects of some sort. Biting insects. You can see a few on dad if you look closely.

The next morning, I ventured out to visit the Westons. The Westons usually ignore me in the early part of the season. Once the chicks hatch, all mammals are persona non grata on their pond. Just after the holiday weekend, they were less sociable than usual. If you’re out trying to photograph loons, pay attention to their mood. There are days they’re comfortable with people about and will go about their business – often close to someone sitting still in a boat. Other times, they don’t want to be near anyone, please respect their wishes.