Loons near the dock

Yesterday, I was sitting on the dock watching the loons dive and emerge and dive again. They moved farther apart and one started moving in my direction. After one of its dives, it surfaced just off the stern of our pontoon that was tied up to the dock. It is the closest a loon has ever come to the dock when I've been on it. I did NOT have my camera. I had my binoculars which helped me see a great detail of its wonderful color--iridescent green on its neck with the familiar black and white markings.

Later in the afternoon, we took a pontoon ride and encountered them on the northeast part of the lake. I took the picture of our house and dock from the pontoon as we were returning. The pontoon is usually tied up on right side (as you are looking at it; that's the north side) of our dock.

I didn't see the loons today although two barred owls were hooting in the afternoon. Bonnie and Charlie alerted me to them last night when we were in the hot tub. The owls were carrying on in the woods. Charlie replicates their call so well and they responded both last night and this afternoon! Very cool. We didn't get to see them but their songs were a good beginning for me.

Two loon pairs

Yesterday afternoon, I watched a pair of loons cruise south, down the middle of the lake. About 500 yards from us (just south of Lobergs), they turned into the west shore and continued their swim south. About 75 yards along (almost to Fornettis), there was great commotion and flapping and the loons took flight. I kept my eyes on them as they departed. They ascended in a spiral of ever increasing circles.

When they were out of sight, I returned my gaze to the shoreline. While I was focusing on what I thought might be a bird at the shoreline, a large loon in its colorful coat came into view. It was followed by another of similar size and color. They seemed to be coming from the bay around Durkees (about 300 yards south of us.) They ambled north toward us, diving, preening, not in any hurry, with no apparent destination. Once they got up to our place they hung around for a while and then started back south again. This promenade went on for well over an hour.

I'm headed to my loon books to try to figure out what was going on. I could certainly build a story around what I thought I saw but I don't have enough information to assert a good hypothesis.

First 2006 sighting for me

I wandered out to the kitchen this morning to put on a pot of coffee. Behold! there was one loon swimming past our dock (or where our dock will be) and two more in the air. Then, if there had been any doubt, they started calling to one another. Ahhh...happiness is hearing a loon on the lake. Don't know if they are looking for a spot or checking out nesting spots but we are glad to see and hear them.