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Category Archives: loons

Loon Family and Friend

These loons had a hard time getting started this year when their first nest failed. They tried again so here they are in August raising their youngsters. It will be a while before they can fly. I imagine, if they survive and their parents are patient enough to stick around, it will be mid to late September before they can migrate. There are three other lakes in the area with loons and this is the only one where the young loons have survived. Bald Eagle are tough on loons.

Both parents look like they’ve been through the ringer this year. One has an old wound on the forehead. It looks like it’s healed but the feathers haven’t grown back. The other has fishing line coming out of its mouth and perhaps around its neck. Hopefully there isn’t a lead sinker still attached. Last year’s female on this lake died from lead poisoning.

And there is a third loon that came to ‘visit’ each morning. While it is in breeding (alternate) plumage, it appears to be somewhat smaller than the other two.

I photographed these birds from my kayak at a safe distance with a 600 mm lens.

Not So Common – Common Loons

I observed these loons from my kayak on a lake in the Okanogan Highlands last month. Usually, there is a nesting pair but at that time, none were using the historic nest. This particular day, we observed six or seven loons, actively feeding on small trout. Most days I observed only two or three loons on the water at any time. At least two other lakes in the area had nesting loons.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) says “This species is identified as a Priority Species under WDFW’s Priority Habitat and Species Program. Priority species require protective measures for their survival due to their population status, sensitivity to habitat alteration, and/or recreational, commercial, or tribal importance. The PHS program is the agency’s main means of sharing fish and wildlife information with local governments, landowners, and others who use it to protect priority habitats for land use planning.”

Last year, an entire family of four loons was brutally killed by someone with a gun. Another loon died of lead poisoning, possibly from fishing tackle.

I love to camp there and watch and listen to the loons.

The Loon Family Grows Up

Last week, I had a chance to see the loons that I photographed early in July. The youngsters are growing up fast and growing some basic feathers. They have lost the soft gray look they had just weeks before. Now they are a bit scraggly looking but you can see that they are beginning to resemble their parents in winter plumage. The parents spend hours everyday searching for food for the little ones. They mostly seem to eat crayfish (crawdads) and occasionally a little fish. It takes a lot of little meals to fill these kids’ bellies. The youngsters are learning to dive and swim underwater. Soon they will have to feed themselves and learn to fly. They will migrate to the Columbia or perhaps the ocean and the young ones will return in three years to set up their own territories and hopefully nest, and produce a new generation. And like their parents, the young loons now wear four leg bands – three colored ones and a metal one – so that when they are seen again, they will be recognized. If you ever see a loon with color bands, try to remember the sequence of the colors on each leg. You can report the band information to the USGS banding lab.

Family Photos

Family photo sessions are always special, especially with my favorite loons. I hope to see them again soon.

Common Loons

Their name says loons are common, but in this part of the world, they are not. Some do breed in the Okanogan Highlands and it’s always a highlight for me to see and hear them when I am camping. We saw two nests and hope the eggs are hatching now and hope the youngsters can survive the summer and migrate away before fall gets here. Bald Eagles are a primary predator for loons eggs and chicks. It’s hard to not like eagles but their numbers seem to be growing while loons seem to be struggling. All these images were made with a long lens at an appropriate distance from the birds. They are very tolerant of non-motorized boats and often pop up close to my kayak.