SEPT
23,2004
OUR NESTING PAIR ARRIVED
RIGHT ON SCHEDULE THIS SPRING. A DAY AFTER THE ICE WAS OUT, THE LARGE RESIDENT
MALE "KONG" WAS OBSERVED ON THE WATER, TWO DAYS LATER HIS MATE,
"KIZZY" ARRIVED.
WE HAD THE ARTIFICAL NESTING
PLATFORM READY FOR THEM. (LOON BIOLOGIST ERIC HANSON AND MYSELF BY MAY 3RD).
THEY NESTED THE LAST WEEK OF MAY. THE EGGS HATCHED THE THIRD WEEK OF JUNE. THIS
COULDN'T BE BETTER TIMING. IT ALLOWS THE CHICKS TO HAVE A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GET
SETTLED BEFORE THE 4TH OF JULY BOAT TRAFFIC!
THE
CHICKS WERE NAMED S'MORE AND OREO. ONE APPEARS TO BE A MALE AND THE SMALLER A
FEMALE.
I OBSERVED THE LOONS FOR
MANY HOURS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER. AS IT TURNS OUT THAT MEANS I AM ALSO
WATCHING BOATERS AND WATERCRAFT ACTIVITIES, INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BOATERS AND
THE LOON FAMILY. IT WAS A STRESSFUL SUMMER FOR THE LOONS.
I
WITNESSED MANY TERRITORIAL BATTLES, BETWEEN RESIDENT LOONS AND INTRUDER LOONS.
THE BATTLES SEEMED OFTEN VERY SERIOUS AND LIFE THREATENING, FOR THE ADULTS, AS
WELL AS THE TWO CHICKS. HOWEVER OUR PAIR ENDURED, PROTECTED THEIR YOUNG AND
HELD STRONG.
ALTHOUGH THE BOAT TRAFFIC
SEEMED LESS ON DAYS DUE TO THE RAIN, AND BAD WEATHER, BOATERS MADE UP FOR THAT
ON NICE WARM SUNNY DAYS, BOAT TRAFFIC WAS THEN HEAVY.
THE LOON FAMILY HAD NUMEROUS
NEAR MISSES BY HIGH POWERED SPEED CRAFTS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT
SOMEONE DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING SMALL
FLOATING IN THE WATER IN FRONT OF THEM.
MANY TIMES AFTER DARK I
HEARD BOATS RUNNING WITHOUT LIGHTS AND COMING IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE LOONS,
DETERMINED BY THE STRESS CALLS AND CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE BOATER.
THERE CONTINUES TO BE
PROBLEMS WITH VISITORS, RENTERS OR FOLKS NOT FAMILIAR WITH LOONS. ITS BEEN MY
EXPERIENCE THAT OFTEN TIMES WHEN I INTERCEPT HARRASSMENT, (FOLKS WANTING TO GET
A CLOSER LOOK, CAMERA IN HAND, DOGGING THE STRESSED LOONS),THEY TELL ME THEY
DIDN'T KNOW, DIDN'T SEE ANY SIGNS OR POSTERS AND THIS IS THE FIRST THEY HAVE
HEARD ABOUT LOONS AND STRESS.
I CONTINUE TO MAKE A PLEA TO
PEOPLE WHO RENT OUT THEIR COTTAGES TO MAKE THEIR RENTERS AWARE THAT THEY NEED
TO GIVE THE LOONS A WIDE BERTH, AND TO PLEASE SLOW DOWN IF THE BIRDS ARE
NEARBY. WHEN FOLKS ARE FISHING, USE NON LEAD SINKERS AND PULL THEIR LINES IN IF
LOONS ARE FEEDING CLOSEBY UNTIL THEY MOVE OUT OF THE CASTING AREA. IF ANYONE
HAS LEAD SINKERS, YOU MAY EXCHANGE FOR NON LEAD, AT THE STATE PARK OFFICE OR
WITH ME.
I VOLUNTEER MANY HOURS
TENDING THE LOONS. SOMEONE HAS TO WATCH OVER THEM AND I'VE MORE THAN ONCE
PREVENTED HARASSAMENT AND STRESS RELATED SITUATIONS. I APPRECIATE ALL THE PHONE
CALL AND INTEREST THAT I HAVE GOTTEN FROM EVERYONE.
I WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THE LOONS RIGHT UP TO LATE NOVEMBER.
THE LITTLE ONES ARE LEARNING
TO FLY AND EATING ON THEIR OWN
NOW. THE ADULTS ARE STILL
AROUND TILL LATE OCTOBER, EARLY NOVEMBER.
THE LITTLE ONES WILL LEAVE AS
LATE AS DECEMBER.
OUR
BEST HOPE IS THAT THEY WILL HAVE SAFE FLIGHT, GOOD WINTER FEEDING GROUNDS AND
RETURN AGAIN IN THE SPRING.
I SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT
MOST FOLKS ENJOY THE LOONS AND HAVE THEIR BEST INTEREST AT HEART. NOW THAT OUR
FAMILY OF LOONS HAVE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS, IT WOULD BE HARD TO IMAGINE LAKE
LIFE WITHOUT THEM. THE SILENCE WOULD LEAVE A VOID THAT COULD NOT BE FILLED BY
ANY OTHER CREATURE. WHAT A JOY TO STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF WILDERNESS ON SUCH
A POPULATED BODY OF WATER.
SINCERELY,
DARLENE SPRAGUE
VLRP VOLUNTEER
LAKE GROTON