Posts Tagged: loon chicks
We Say Goodbye to the Loons
Loon season in the Upper Valley is coming to a close. The Middletons and Westons decamped about two weeks ago. The Easton chicks hatched later, they’re still on their pond with mom. For now.
I’m packing up for the Stowe Foliage Arts Festival this weekend, October 11-13. I’ll have note cards, my 2025 wildlife calendar and prints big and small. Come on out and have a look. All the details about the Festival here: https://stoweartsfest.com/.
On November 6, I’ll be a the Hartland, VT, Public Library at 6 pm. I’ll also have a print exhibit of some of my favorite loon photos hanging in the Hartland Library during November.
Sunday (10/6), I headed up to visit with the Eastons. Fall has arrived in force – it was 37° and foggy when I launched.
With the chicks flying, they’ll be moving on soon. I won’t be able to get back to their pond until midweek next week. I’ll be surprised if their still there. I said goodbye to the chicks and wished them well.
New England’s loons mostly winter in the Atlantic between Cape Cod and Maine. Of course, there are always a few adventurers and those that didn’t read the manual who wander further. The youngsters will spend roughly three to five years either at sea or in ponds without a territorial pair before seeking their own territories and mates.
Now I’m off to find some new photo opportunities.
Loon Update
I had a chance to check in with the Eastons and Middletons over the last week. Let’s see what they’re up to.
I’ll be up at the Stowe Foliage Arts Festival October 11-13 with note cards, calendars and prints. Come on out and have a look. All the details about the Festival here: https://stoweartsfest.com/.
I’ll be giving my slideshow, An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon a couple times in the near future. First is at 10 a.m. October 5 at the Richford, VT, Town Hall. And again at 6 p.m. on November 6 at the Hartland, VT, Library.
This week, the folks behind the Lake Fairlee loon cam, Doug Tift, Sean Brown and Eric Hanson, gave a great presentation on the success of the cam. The cam is offline for the season, but they’ll have it back up in the spring. They’ve got a collection of highlights from this past season up at https://www.youtube.com/@LakeFairleeAssociation/playlists. They’ve captured lots of great video of various behaviors and interactions with the other critters on the ponds.
September 17 was a beautiful day above the valley fog. The Eastons were enjoying a light mist when I arrived. Mom and the chicks were at the south end of the pond, with the chicks hounding her to be fed. Dad took the morning off and drifted leisurely alone at the north end of the pond.
On the 20th, I made it over to the Middleton’s pond. Friends on the pond said they hadn’t seen the Middletons for a week. I spent a couple of hours on the pond without finding them, they’ve moved on. They’ve left a little earlier than in previous years. Most of New England’s loons will winter in the Atlantic between Cape Cod and Maine. Of course, they don’t all read the manual and there will be some that go off to other places. They may well stop on a larger pond to the south or east of home before continuing to the Atlantic. This time of year, it is common to find ‘rafts’ or ‘asylums’ of loons gathering on ponds. Without having to worry about chicks, they’re more social.
The Loon Preservation Committee banded the Middleton adults this year. It will be interesting to see if they both come back in the spring. I’ve been following the loons on the pond since 2012. From his behavior, I think we’ve had the same male the whole time. We lost the original female in a fight with a goose in 2017. Let’s hope the Middletons have safe travels and reunite in the spring.
A Foggy Morning with the Middletons
Last week I had a chance to visit with the Middletons on a foggy morning, here’s a brief update.
And, I’ve gotten a slew of new subscribers in the past week. Welcome. I follow loons on three ponds every year. To protect their privacy, I don’t share which ponds. But the loons on the pond to my east are the ‘Eastons,’ the loons to my west are the ‘Westons.’ The pond in the middle hosts the Middletons.
This coming weekend, I’ll be at the Artrider Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst Show in Tarrytown, NY. Stop by and say hello. All the details about the show are on Artrider’s site https://www.artrider.com/fall-crafts-at-lyndhurst-2024.
Next, I’ll be teaching a workshop, Photographing Your Student Athlete at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester on September 28. This is designed for parents with kids playing in Little League through varsity. We’ll be working with cameras with interchangeable lenses, if you’re shooting with a phone, this may not be for you. All the details on the Currier’s site https://currier.org/class/photography-in-motion-with-ian-clark/.
Just a couple more…. I’ll be giving my slideshow An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon at the Town Hall in Richford, VT, Saturday, October 5 at 10 am and again at the Hartland, VT, Public Library on November 6. Still working to find the exact time, but it will be something like 5 pm. I’ll post when we get it finalized.
On to the loons… The Middleton chicks were 11-weeks-old when I visited last week. They look like they’re doing well. Dad (he’s banded) was the only adult on the pond. This time of year, it is likely that mom took some time off and is resting on a nearby pond. You’ll see why she needed a break below.
I hope to get back out to visit the families again next week, will update when I can.
Catching Up With The Loon Familes
It was too long between trips to check on the three loon families. Work, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair and rain kept me off the water. Things improved a week ago, and I’ve had a chance to visit all three families. All our chicks are doing well.
I’ll be up at the Laudholm Nature Crafts Festival in Wells, ME, September 7 & 8 with lots of note cards, calendars and prints. All the details are on their site: https://wellsreserve.org/event/52783/36th-laudholm-nature-crafts-festival.
The next weekend, September 13-15, I’ll be in Tarrytown, NY, at the Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst Festival. Details for this one are here: https://www.artrider.com/fall-crafts-at-lyndhurst-2024.
And, for those parents who get picked to provide photos of student athletes, I’ll be teaching a workshop at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH, on September 28. The workshop is for anyone who wants to get better photos of kids’ sports from tee ball to varsity. It is designed for using cameras with interchangeable lenses, and may not be helpful if you’re using your phone. All the details are on the Museum’s site https://currier.org/class/photography-in-motion-with-ian-clark/.
OK, on to the birds…. A week ago Friday, I headed out to visit the Eastons. Their pond is away from the Connecticut River and slightly higher in elevation. It was clear here on the hill, with fog in the valley. When I crossed the River, it was foggy enough that I couldn’t see the water from the bridge. The Eastons were above the worst of it.
The next morning, the fog in the valley didn’t seem to be as thick, so I headed out to visit the Middletons.
The next morning, I learned my lesson and went back to visit the Eastons. I managed to paddle past the loons on my way down the pond. I was well down the pond when dad when cruising by on a mission.
If you’re on a pond and this happens, just put your paddle down and sit. Let the loons do what they need to do without interfering.
The eagle flew off without bothering the loons. I was not as convinced that dad had scared him off as dad was.
Thursday, there was just a hint of fog in the valley, so I ventured up to see the Westons. And found the only patch of thick fog in the area. It was 48° with a chilly wind. There was one adult and the chick on the pond.
The fog refused to lift and the wind was getting unpleasant, so I headed in.
Not sure how soon I can get out again, but want to get back when I can. The Weston and Middleton chicks should be learning to fly by now, always fun to watch them as they try.
News From the Eastons
There’s great news from the Eastons! I’ve been up to visit them a couple times this past week. They’ve been sitting on their second clutch of eggs. They lost the first clutch, I suspect the nest was flooded, but we’ll never know. Let’s see how their doing. (The Eastons are the easternmost of the loon families I follow. My blog has gotten popular enough that I need to protect the loons’ privacy.)
The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair kicks off Saturday August 3 and runs through Sunday August 11 at the Mount Sunapee Resort in Sunapee, NH. I’ll have lots of new images, from note cards to 20×30″ wall art. Stop by booth 718 to have a look. All the details about the Fair are on the League’s site, www.NHCrafts.org
When I visited the Eastons on July 21, they had a chick and were still sitting on an egg. I returned on July 22 well before dawn and found the same situation.
I had to head out, hoping the second egg would hatch.
This morning, I headed back, again before dawn.
That was a good time for me to head home. The League Fair will keep me busy the next couple weeks, it may be a time before I can check up on them again.
Loon Update July 12, 2024
I’ve made it out to check on two of our three loon families, and have heard reports from the third.
The Loch Lyme Lodge in Lyme will host me to present An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon in the evening of July 23, part of their Tuesday Night Cookouts. We’re still figuring exactly when I’ll present, as soon as we know, the details will be on their site: www.LochLymeLodge.com.
And, I’m busy getting ready for the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair, August 3-11 at Mount Sunapee Resort in Sunapee, NH. I’ll be in booth 718, come on by and say hello. All the Fair details are on the League’s Site.
While I haven’t had a chance to visit the Westons, a friend reports they’re doing well with the one chick. And, mom seems to be hanging around.
The Eastons lost their first clutch. All I know is the nest was empty when I visited. The water was up to the lip of the nest, I suspect the nest flooded. They’ve decided to try again and the chicks are due in the next few days.
The big news from the Middletons is that the Loon Preservation Committee biologists were able to band both adults over the July 4th Holiday. LPC tries to band something like 30-35 loons every year – almost 5% of New Hampshire’s loon population.
Banding lets them track individual loons over many years giving insights on behavior. Loons get four bands, one with a unique number from the United States Geological Survey (hey, it’s the government). Being unique, that number will forever definitively identify that bird. But the numbers on the USGS band are small and all but impossible to read unless you’re holding the bird. Loons aren’t big fans of being held, so they get three more bands with a mix of colors. If the bird is banded as a chick, the USGS band goes on the left leg, if they’re banded as adults, they wear it on the right leg. The color combination gives a nearly perfect way to identify the individual without having to catch it.
Along with banding the birds, they also take measurements to learn about size and weight along with blood to test for lead, hematocrit (concentration of red blood cells) and for infections including avian malaria.
I’m hoping to get out to check on the Eastons and Westons this weekend, weather permitting.
Update on Our Loon Families
There’s news – good and disappointing – from our three loon families.
I’ll be at the Blake Memorial Library’s Art, House and Garden Tour July 6 & 7. The Library is in Corinth, VT, the Tour takes you around Corinth and Topsham. I’ll be set up at the Topsham Town Hall. All the details here.
I made it up to visit the Eastons on the 25th. They were in the window where their eggs could hatch. Sadly, I found an empty nest. The water was up to the lip of the nest and had probably been higher the days before my visit. The good news is that it looks like they’re going to try again. They were defending an island where they used to nest. I hadn’t realized they’d claimed the island until I attempted to beach my boat to fiddle with my gear. Dad explained that I had to go. So I did.
Update: I visited the pond again Sunday afternoon, there was a loon sitting a new nest.
The LPC is a great resource for loon info. Over the years, John has been very generous answering my endless questions. Thanks John!
The Middletons were out and about when I visited on Friday. The chicks are growing rapidly and appear to be in good health. When I arrived, there was a thick fog on the pond. I had to make two circuits before finding the loons in deep shadows as the sun rose.
When I last posted, Mrs. Weston hadn’t been seen for five days and I feared the worst. Later in the summer, it is common for one of the parents to disappear for a couple days. Probably for R&R on a nearby pond. I was concerned as the chicks were very young and it seemed she was gone a long time.
Want to help the loon conservation effort? The loon census is coming up on Saturday, July 20. The idea is to get volunteers to check all the ponds at the same time to get an accurate count of all the loons and chicks. All you need to do is go for a paddle around your pond and count the loons. For more details or to volunteer in Vermont, see the Vermont Center for Ecostudies’ site, https://vtecostudies.org/projects/lakes-ponds/common-loon-conservation/loonwatch/participate/. In New Hampshire, check out the Loon Preservation Committee’s site at https://loon.org/census/.
Loon Chicks Have Arrived
Two of our loon families – the Westons and Middletons have hatched two chicks. I’ve been out to see how they, and their neighbors are doing.
The Tenney Memorial Library will host me this Sunday, June 23, at 2:00 p.m. for my slideshow, An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon. Free and everyone welcome.
I left a game camera looking out my blind by one of the fox dens. Here’s a minute of foxes big and small coming and going.
A neighbor told me he has a whippoorwill stopping by late every evening and early every morning. I sat out by his garden and got a good listen to the whippoorwill. Unfortunately, it was too dark to see him. So far, he’s eluded my game cameras. My consolation prize was a pair of bobolinks:
A friend on the Weston’s pond messaged me on the 13th, telling me they’d seen a chick. I headed up to visit that evening.
By the 16th, the Middletons were in the window for the chicks to hatch. I headed over early, in heavy fog. It was a fine 36° when I put in. Heavy fog made it hard to find the loons.
A quick reminder about photographing chicks – give them their space. I’m using a long lens – something like a 20x scope and these images are heavily cropped.
Early on the 18th, I headed up to check on the Westons. It was 74° when I put in, almost 40° difference in two days.
There was sad news when I got out on the pond.
I went back up to the pond on the 19th, on a very hot and hazy morning.
Loon Chicks at 10 Weeks
Monday morning there were stars above and a thick fog over the river in the valley below. I decided to risk a trip to visit the Eastons. Most of the trip to the pond was slow going through the fog. As I started to climb towards the pond, I rose back above the fog to find a beautiful morning.
Dad was foraging by himself near the boat launch, he paddled in close to hoot softly to me before returning to feasting on crayfish. Mom called a couple times while I was getting the boat in the water. This is the pond where Dad is banded, letting me tell who is who if I can see a leg.
The chicks were keeping mom busy. They’re very demanding, poking and pulling feathers whenever she got near. She didn’t spend much time on the surface, she’d dive quickly when a chick got near. I’m convinced this is why the parents leave the pond before the chicks – they just want some peace.
Heading back to the boat launch, I pass dad who is lazily paddling along, seemingly enjoying the peace and quiet on this end of the pond.
I was surprised the fog hadn’t shown up on the pond, there’s usually a period where the pond gets foggy as the fog lifts from the valley. Driving back towards home, I discovered why – the fog was still sitting heavy on the river.
Back at the house, the goldfinches have discovered the thistle I left for them.
Loon Chicks at Five Weeks
The rain let up enough for me to get out to check on all three loon families this week. And, I only got caught in a shower once.
The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair is coming right up, August 5th through the 12th. I’ll be down there with lots of wildlife and other photos. Stop by booth 726 and say hello. All the details for the fair are here.
I visited the Middletons last night. They’re the ones that lost their chick. On the last visit, they showed signs they might be courting again. That was before the heavy rains and flooding. We were spared the worst of the flooding, but did get significant rain. A friend on the pond has kept me updated. She says the loons have had one or two intruders on the pond regularly. When I visited, the hummock where they’ve nested the last several years has been washed away, with no sign of another nesting spot. There was an intruder on the pond, with some circling and posturing but no outright fights.
This morning, the forecast was for rain and thundershowers. When I got up, there were stars visible. I headed out to check on the Westons. One of the adults and two chicks were foraging not far from the boat launch. The other adult soon came down the pond to join them. They were in shadows, I headed up the pond to see who else might be about. The rain held off until I got to the other end of the pond. I had a soggy retreat.
On Wednesday morning, the forecast was mixed and there were a couple stars between clouds when I got up. I took a chance and headed east to visit the Eastons.
