Loon Watch Update

The loon chick that has transformed into a juvenile has finally made it across the lake with the guidance of it's parents. It resembles a parent more each day and it now is becoming whiter on it's chest. And the parents are now trying to teach it how to run across the water as a prerequisite for flying.

And some good news ! We have been watching a loon nest for quite a few weeks and thought the nest had been abandoned. Close examination revealed that the eggs weren't being turned regularly. And it's also common for a male loon to stay behind for a few weeks to defend a nest after the female has left the eggs. Even though all of the above did happen, on August 2, we found one pair of parents with a newborn chick not too far from the nest.

So Loon Lake has it's second loon chick this year. We'll be watching the latest chick closely to monitor it's survival. It has been born quite late in the season and may not survive.