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Home My WebLink AboutOctober 28, 2004 - The uncommon common loon The Suffolk Times • October 28, 2004 e un com mon common oon �___ , ,-, �o _ _ - ., ,,,,,,, , .W4hN ' �ii �i��Ipl;MF4��illiq�':�i�l' IIN�� i � ��u��' . � ,�, . �yiry i l4�ill�u �y�"�, �N i,��, � � rtii, .��.;, ^: i � � �� . . . ,Mdn* . _ �.,,,. � � �i��V � .��p + �u�d��'��,dM w ,,�,a�„ �!"�"`�.� w�� r� / ,:.e,...,,. 9��,� '' ,� ,,e ��'iiMry��'�M'u�lNluiy�r�uuHr �;�,� ��IV� I i�.W - ��.�jl�l��4Nlu _ ..-..:. ' .. � i�13 — - �ii, r i �,, m�� i I � �11�lll p . .».Jr�n . - � � �� I , , /rrNlUiimlO�ryd�nll,rp "� % hNw�Al�'^ � �'li�� ^� .� l% I�' E � i,Y � �' � . .... ., � w 4,f..'.l�p:w�p4 h. ' r � ,. � . ANNI�Iu�II��IN�n�I�%l�ll�lll��„,. :� �. �u�n,m�e,id. � - �-,�-.,�'' -�_. . - ��i�� . �.,'. . �� ,i � � �I� h � ; -q, e I +�". � A t y .uh �'y ,� ._ ,.�'�3�'�.�1�:.,A. - .. _ r Y ^ 4 .. �,: x��"..�?`: '� �. �"„"'"� -� � 3 � n. . � ,��n,'_r�..r'�. � �� . . - � �4 •1'., i�'„�^�"�� u��IINN/hl�tlhl�lhlr�uw ar�,�,.�� ,.. . . .... ,_ , _ �:�� ' � � � Times/Review photo by Peul Stoutcid�ursh Seldom do we see the common loon in its summer dress, as it nests in the far north in isolated ponds and lakes. Somehow this bird became trapped in a small pond where it couldn't take off, since loons need long runways of water in order to become airborne. �,��Zi:, i3i,i:.ss�;n wrri�spar ing other day when we visited friends who bays and meandering creeks along our have waterfront property.As I was shores from Orient to Riverhead.I leaving,I took a moment to check envy those who live facing these over the bay.Right in front of ine was waters,for an endless pageant of a beautiful common loon,swimming events goes on in front of them.It along the shore edge,diving,then could be a dazzling sunrise or a bril- coming up and looking around and liant sunset,or a change in the water diving again in its endless pursuit of surface due to wind or tide.It could be food in the form of fish,crustaceans, seeing the many kinds of birds that fly or anything that moved in front of it. or swim by.All Common loons have recently these events are moved into our bays from their nest- F'OCjJ$ something to �n�;grounds in the isolated ponds and look forward to lakes nestled in the wilderness of our ON each day and can northern states,Canada and as far NATU RE make life more north as western Greenland and by Paul interesting. Iceland,where they spent the summe Stoutenburgh A perfect raising their downy chicks. example of this While leading a nature tour to ha�pci�cd the Icclancl Ycars a�;o,wc wcrc Cortunatc Loons also have the uncanny ability to sink right in front of you without a to see a air of nestin loons at the ripple.They do this by expelling p g trapped air amongst their feathers and edge of thc water on a pond off thc other parts of their body.Sometimes Some of you � beaten track.Sorry to say we didn't they disappear completely;other have heard this before,but perhaps have time to study them more thor- times only a small portion of the head there are those who havedt,so here oughly,as we were being eaten alive will show.They're masters of the art of goes.When I was a young boy,on a by hordes of mosquitoes.We'd never escape. quiet winter's day I rowed out into the seen anything quite like it.Loons are � The loons' two-foot-diameter nest is middle of the bay to see if I could call very particular about where they nest. often built on islands safe from land a loon to my boat.I lay down in the They look for isolation—that means predators.It is made up of soil,grass- bottom of the boat,out of sight,and people and their machines aren't wel- es,moss and vegetation and holds two did my best to mimic the wild and come. brown eggs that are guarded well. strange yodeling calL I could hear The summer plumage of the nesting Both parents share in incubating and them talking amongst themselves, loon is entirely different from the raising the young.Once hatched,the each time a little louder,until I could- black-and-white bird we see down y�ung spend little time in the nest, n't stand it any longer and had to peer here in the winter.During nesting over the side.There were six curious �me the body is black with a white �ne or two days at the most.From the loons looking at me and wonderin very beginning they are fed small g checkered pattern on the back and a �,hole fish. It's interesting to note that �'hat was going on.What a thrill! conspicuous white-barred necklace.A the food fcd to thc young is not regur- T�ey say the call of the loon on the shiny dagger-like black bill and black ��tated by the parents as it is with nesting grounds at night can be a head give this bird a handsome look. some other aquatic birds,such as cor- �'��rd and scary thing,and so the say- I ve seen a loon here only once in its morants and herons,but fed whole to ��g�"crary as a loon"was born.For summer dress,and that was when one the young from the first day. those of you who don't live on the was caught in a pond in Southold.It A loon's life is on the water day and �'ater,you probably hear this yodeling had somehow landed in this small call in the baekground of movies pond and couldn't fly out.Loons need n�ght,where it will spend thc rest of whenever they want to de ict a lonel the summer learning the ins and outs P Y great distance to take off. of survival.When young they often get lake or pond.I remember hearing it in This is one of the reasons we don t their early down water-logged.To dry �he famous movie,`On Golden Pond," see them in our creeks as often as we off they climb onto their parents' �� 'hich there was oPten a loon yodel- would likc.They need 20 yards or backs.When dry they slip back into �ng�n the background. even as much as a quarter of a mile in Loons are thought to mate for life, order to take off,depending on the the water,looking for something to Iike our ospreys.How long do they direction of the wind.They gain flight eat.All summer long the quest is for live?A banded bird was found dead by rapidly paddling along the surface food as the young grow bigger and and,when the band was sent in,a of the water and flapping their wings, bigger. report came back that the bird had the combination gradually getting �e seasen changes from summer lived for 7 1/2 years.Another record to fall,and they're ready to fly and them airborne.Since most of our speaks of a loon living for nine years. creeks are narrow and relatively small, J�in in the endless migration of birds Unlike with ospreys,the male loon loons prefer to be out in the bay, to the warmer waters of the south.It's doesn't precede the female to the Sound or ocean,where they have then we see these large black-and- nesting ground;the male and female gray and white-bellied birds,some- more room to take off at any moment times singly,other times in small arrive at the breeding territary togeth- in any direction. er. The nest of the loon is always groups.feeding in our bays and occa- Birders around the island this year placed close to the water's edge sionally in our creeks. have reported an increase in the because of the extreme difficult �ose who live at the water's edge number of loons that have moved y have probably heard the loon's yodel- into our area.This is good to hear,for loons have walking on land.Their legs �ng call on quiet days.It's an unusual the habitat of the loon is being are placed much farther toward the sound and is variable depending upon pushed farther and farther north by rear of the bird than normal,making Where the bird man and his modern day living,and them strong divers,some reaching the is.While so count yourself lucky if you've been depth of 200 feet in the pursuit of fish. Loons have The larger fish they catch are brought defending its able to watch a loon from your front to the surface to be eaten,while small- Ilest it has one the uneanny porch,or from your car at the end of er fish are eaten below.The average call,for mating ability to a road,or maybe you saw one on a another;the beach walk.Wherever you saw it, sray under water is about one minute �ne we're most sink right in count yourself lucky,for there in front but ranges to an extreme of four to familiar with is front of you of you goes one of the great birds five minutes. the yodel,the W jthOut a that visit our area ... the common sound of loon. wilderness. rlppl@.