Monday morning was clear when I got up, but with some fog hugging the Connecticut River below us. I figured it would lift quickly enough and it was worth a trip to check on the Middletons.
The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair is coming up. I’m already printing and framing new work. Save the dates and plan a trip to the Fair.
The videos of the tree swallows in the nesting box stopped after the chicks came to a sad end. The kestrel returned and took the last two chicks. Tough to watch, but that’s the way nature works. The wrens are raising their chicks in another box about 24 feet away from this one. I was surprised to see a second family of wrens claim the tree swallow’s box within the hour of the kestrel getting the chicks.
When I arrived at the Middletons’ pond, it was still in a thick fog – visibility was limited to something like 100 feet. I set out looking for the loons.
Soon, I found what turned out to be mom, apparently sleeping alone. I’d missed when they laid their egg, I figured we were still waiting. After a few minutes, dad appeared – coming out of the fog from the opposite direction of the nest. And carrying a fish. A chick appeared from under mom’s wing and went to get breakfast.
The chick hatched sometime since last Thursday. My best guess is he? is a couple days old, probably hatching Saturday.
Watching was more enjoyable than trying to get photos through the heavy fog, so I settled in to watch. And was soon fighting dozing off. I heard a swooshing and roused myself in time to see our intruding loon – probably the female that was keeping company with Mr. Middleton earlier in the spring – as she landed near the family. (How the heck does a loon navigate in fog that limits visibility to just a couple hundred feet?)
The Middletons were not about to have her around the chick and mom set out after her. The intruder took off wing rowing across the pond.
With mom in hot pursuit!
Dad hung back with the chick, but yodeled to let the intruder know the home team was ready to fight.
The intruder disappeared down the pond and mom returned to the family, giving a nice stretch.
Dad kept charge of the chick, leading him towards shallow water for more breakfast. Mom was alert and patrolled between the family and where the intruder was last seen.
Mom spotted the intruder again, and set out to send her packing.
Mom and the intruder fought for several minutes. Mom doing the penguin dance between dives, the intruder staying mostly underwater.
Loons do the penguin dance only under extreme stress. Males are more likely than females to dance, but females will too. That mom’s dancing is more evidence that the intruder is female – loons are more likely to fight the same sex loon.
Once again, the intruder went wing rowing away down the pond. Mom gave up pursuit after a bit.Mom took a moment to stretch before rejoining the family. With the intruder out of the way, it was time to get serious about rustling up some breakfast.
Mom soon came up with what looks like a large mouth bass. That’s going to be a challenge for the chick. The chick gave it a good try before dropping the fish. Mom retrieved it.
Ok, let’s try this again…. easy now, don’t drop it…. Yup, he dropped it and mom retrieved it again. Third times the charm…. or is it? The chick doesn’t seem to have learned where mom stops and the food begins…. The chick dropped the fish a couple more times before mom gave up and ate it herself.
Dad came in with a much more manageable snack.
Mom is looking for another meal. The chick took matters into his own bill. And tried a pine needle found floating nearby. Pine needles do not make good breakfasts. Mom is back again with an oversize fish. This time, the chick was able to get it down with some work.
Mom showed up with yet another fish to challenge the chick …
The chick was up for the challenge this time…. going….. going….. gone!
Mom was sticking with what works… here’s another impossibly large fish.
The chick is looking for the handle……
And promptly drops it…..
Mom fetches it again and again hands it off….
The chick looks to have a good hold on it, mom is keeping a close eye on it…. Looks like a good grip, just need to line the fish up to go down head first….. and he drops it! Mom very patiently retrieves it again…..
Mom and the chick are determined to make this work…. trying again…. And he drops it! Mom put her head underwater and the fish wasn’t seen again – most likely mom ate it.
And the intruder reappeared at the far end of the pond!
This time dad is going to head out to join mom in chasing the intruder away. First, he lead the chick up close to my boat – they’re smart enough to know that being close to a boat provides the chick some protection from threats – especially airborne threats. If you’re on a pond and a loon asks you to ‘babysit’ just put your paddles down and sit still. Let the loons do what they need.
The chick sheltered behind my boat, away from the action where the intruder couldn’t see him.
Mom and dad again forced the intruder to retreat… dad’s taking a victory stretch.
The parents returned to collect the chick and headed out to finish breakfast. I lost track and don’t know who I caught stretching.
After a couple minutes for a quick preen, dad took the chick aboard. The chick is checking to see if feathers make good breakfast.
Another round of fish and it looked like the Middletons could settle in for a nap.
They weren’t so lucky – as I was pulling the boat out I heard dad yodeling and lots of wing rowing as the intruder came back.
Intruders will try to kill the chick or a parent if they can. The fight is for the territory. With a chick the home team has great incentive to hold onto the territory. If they lose it or a mate, they may give up and relinquish the territory. I expect we’ll see more skirmishing with the intruder.
