The Loon Family
/For the second year in a row, I am seeing a baby loon. Did I just not look in the past? It would seem so. Awareness of my surroundings is key to seeing the daily adventures and events unfold. Raising kids and running a business probably kept me too preoccupied. But now, I am learning to listen and watch for the signals. So it was on Monday morning. As I drank my coffee, I could hear the loons calling frequently down in front. I figured that it might mean something important in loon language, so I grabbed my binoculars to investigate.
Sure enough, just off of the point, there was an adult loon and a little one. The baby was big enough to be swimming on its own, and the adult would periodically go underwater in search of breakfast. Soon a second adult surfaced, so here was the whole family. I came back up to the lodge to get my camera, and to let Greg know what was happening.
For the next several minutes we watched as the family went about their business, fishing and feeding the little dude. The sky was overcast, and the waters were calm. It made for rather drab photographs, but I didn't care. It was such a delight to have a front row seat to the show. I think I may have learned something about loons in that time, too.
It was the usual loon calls that first alerted me to the family's presence. Then I got to hear the little noises that the adult would make to the baby when it was being fed. At one point, one adult was several hundred yards down the lake. The custodial parent called a few times, and suddenly the wanderer surfaced. I saw this happen a few times, so it made me think that perhaps they can hear each other underwater.
One thing I don't know is if it was the mama or the papa that predominantly stayed with the baby. Initially I kept referring to the mama and the baby, but then stood corrected when it was pointed out to me that both parents participate throughout the brooding, hatching and raising of the baby. Old habits die hard, I guess. At any rate, until I figure out how to identify a male from a female loon, I guess I will be referring to them as "it". Good lesson in co-parenting!