The baby loons are here! Well, one anyway!
It’s always a cause for celebration after listening to the haunting calls and protective territorial screams of these amazing birds that we get to see this one fluffy nugget, hanging out on Mom, or perhaps Dad’s back:) The Common Loon, just doesn’t fit that name for such a striking bird. I love to photograph them in the sun but it was in and out, between wafts of high smoke, their colours sparkle around their necks, the deep blue-green strip standing out against the dark feathers, both stripes and polka dots!
We paddled slowly down the lake, checking the bays, an Eastern Kingbird was feeding a baby in nest, but no loons, and then the parent appeared around a corner, a lone Loon was hunting further down the bay, Dad maybe. At first I couldn’t see the baby, we were keeping our distance, you can tell when a Loon is getting agitated and that was the last thing I wanted to do. The 600MM lens comes in handy for not getting too close:) A little brown lump appeared finally on its parents’ back, first just a head, and a sleepy eye, a look that said do I really have to wake up, or not. Baby priorities!
It woke up for a few minutes, looked at the strange red floating bird in the distance, and flapped it’s wee little wings a few times before lying back down, so tired, beak dragging in the water…what a life!
The first year we had several pairs nesting but I think the constant attention from the bald eagle made the one pair reconsider its housing arrangement! There hasn’t been much perching this year for the Eagles but a parent has come in with a juvenile, who flew right over my head as I sat and watched. Such a delicate balance in this world of what will live, and what will be eaten.
From big, very big, to very small. Eagles to hummingbirds, it never ceases to amaze me the scope and breadth of wildlife around us. On any day the variety of bugs, birds, reptiles, and furry creatures you come upon is a gift. I’m not anti-human, well, maybe a bit of a misanthrope, OK, OK, a misanthrope, I distrust humans in general, not single human beings, but humanity as a whole has this “Oh so superior” air to them, everything was put here for them to use…USE, being the world I hate, not co-exist, but use. Then I hear pissed-off Orcas are running into sailboats and yachts off the coast of Spain and I think, OK, turn around is fair play! We, as we destroy our planet, are not as smart as we somehow think we are, so yeah, I like the rest of the things on this planet, with the exceptions being the humans who create nice wine;) and my friends! Ha! Not necessarily in that order!
This young buck wasn’t very concerned as Mike and Gamora walked right up to him, he was busy eating. When he did decide to trot off Gamora thought she might give chase! What a girl! One wants to chase deer, the other is in love with a raccoon?! And Groot, he is Groot! Ha! May we all live here in harmony!
This was a spectacular morning, thanks Groot for stepping on Mike’s bladder, then mine, and waking us up;) Ha! He is Groot! I have surmised it wasn’t to get me out of bed to go down and enjoy the sunrise but to open the corner cupboard and fork over a handful of crunchies! Who needs an alarm clock? Not me!
He does get rewarded with private harness less fishing expeditions down to the dock, but so far nothing of notable size, all had to be returned to the lake he says sadly, he’s waiting for his first big bass fillet or even a canoe trip out to where the BIG fish are is in order! Stay tuned he says…Captain Groot will soon be sailing the high seas, I mean, being paddled on the calm waters, of Long Lake! Ha! And we’ll see how baby Loon is growing!
