May 2023
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Recovering from Broken Shoulder(Lee) & Rotator Cuff Surgery. Finally posting some pictures. Loons are back! |
Mt Shaw & Black Snout
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Hike up Mt Shaw and Black Snout to try to find dock from the peak.
(4.5 hours, 8 miles, 3,000 ft elevation gain!) |
June 2023
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June pictures. Loons are nesting!
Click HERE to view my June daily loon log! (also click to collapse)
Thu Jun 22, am - Saw single loon hanging out off of their nesting island.
Sat Jun 24, am - Sighted the mom on nest (from distance in kayak with binoculars and 300mm zoom lens)
Sun Jun 25, am - Loon patiently still on nest
Thu Jun 29, am - Loon on nest. Partner directly off nest midcove. All quiet and peaceful.
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July 2023
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July NH pictures. Huge interruption to our NH summer when Brooks Amret Taylor, our first grandchild, was born on July 4th! While we were helping the new parents in AL the loon parents welcomed their chick to Winter Harbor!
Click HERE to view my July daily loon log (also click to collapse)
Sat Jul 1, 7:00 am - Loon on nest and loon in water. All peaceful.
Sun Jul 2, am - No loons in sight when I arrived in the morning. After about 5 min's both surfaced in the water. No distress signs. But also, no sign of chick. Not close enough to see if egg is in nest. (Using binoculars and zoom lens to give them space)
Sun Jul 2, pm - No loons on water near nest in evening. Loon on nest moved out of sight shortly after I arrived. I left immediately to reduce stress on adult loon.
Mon Jul 3, 12:30 pm - Loon on nest. None on water. Heavy boat traffic.
Tue Jul 4, 8:30 am - Loon on nest. None on water
Wed Jul 5, 7:30 am - Loon on nest. None on water. Very calm and peaceful.
Thu Jul 6, am & pm - Loon on nest. Peaceful & Calm. Loon on water past Marker #15. Loon on nest. None on water.
Fri Jul 7, 6:00 am - Loon on nest and loon on water. Look happy and peaceful.
Sat Jul 8, 7:30 am - Loon on nest. Loon on water near our house. Haven't seen either close to our house for weeks.
Sun Jul 9, am - Heard them calling earlier. Loon on nest in morning.
Sun Jul 9, pm - None sighted on water. Loon on nest.
Mon Jul 10, 7:00 pm - Heavy rain today. Only saw loon on nest.
Tue Jul 11, am & pm - Only saw loon on nest.
Tue Jul 11, 5:30 pm - As I neared the nest island (200') saw loon leaving nest, swimming out to meet the other loon in middle of cove. Waited about 15 mins. No chick visible. Got pictures of bands for LPC to use.
Tue Jul 25 am & pm - Back from AL. THe chick has hatched. All 3 loons have been hanging out around our dock and swim float morning & evening! Couple of pictures.
Wed Jul 26, Noon - Loon family hanging out just off dock over lunch.
Thu Jul 27, 7:00 am - Loon family back again.
Fri Jul 28, 6:00 am - The 2 adults were making a commotion out in middle of Winter Harbor. No chick in sight. It seemed to me that they were stressed over loss of chick. I scanned with binoculars and saw chick several hundred yards away near the shore. Adult headed into shore and gathered the chick. I was nervous for about 15 minutes there.
Fri Jul 28, 6:30 pm - I spotted the Loon family peacefully cruising around just south of us.
Sat Jul 29, 7:00 am - Loon family together across Winter Harbor from their nest site. Rarely see them over there. All peaceful.
Sun Jul 30, 7:30 am - Woke up to the chick riding on mom's back just off of our dock. They were in sight from our dock nearly all day. Love that!
Mon Jul 31, 6:30 am - Woke to see 3 adults in middle of cove off of our dock. One stayed in middle, while the second chased the third away. I'm guessing that the third was an intruder. No chick in sight. I scanned shoreline with binoculars and spotted chick all alone about 20' from shore at least 100 yards from parents. Came back 30 minutes later and the mom was feeding the chick right off of our dock! I enjoyed my breakfast while the chick was being fed by mom!
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Aug 2023
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August pictures. The Loon Family is near our dock multiple times a day it seems.
Click HERE to view August daily loon log (also click to collapse)
Tue Aug 1, '23 - 6am: Loon and chick right off of our dock in the morning.
- 6pm: Loon and chick at north end of Winter Harbor in the evening.
Wed Aug 2, '23 6:00 pm - Adult and chick at north end of WH.
Thu Aug 3, '23 - 6:00 am Saw 2 adults and chick at north end of WH. As I approached (on kayak) adults gave alarm calls and splashed so I turned away. Then 2 adults went 'running' south 1 after the other. They left. I then saw a 3rd adult w/ chick. So there were 3 adults again. When I left them, single adult and chick were both diving and headed to far NE shore of WH.
Thu Aug 3, '23 6:00 pm - 2 adults feeding chick directly off from our dock!
Sat Aug 5, '23 1:00 pm - Loon feeding chick right off of our dock. Within 30' at one point.
Sat Aug 5, '23 5:00 pm - Loons back feeding chick off of our dock.
Sun Aug 6, '23 2:00 pm - Loon feeding chick right off of our dock. Within 30' at one point.
Wed Aug 9, '23 6:00 am - Saw Loon with chick north of off Quinby’s shoreline.
Wed Aug 9, '23 6:30 pm - Pair of adult loons were at north end of WH. They headed south past our dock at a reasonable pace. Right down middle of WH. No chick in sight. They went south out of my sight. With binoculars I could see chick had been left alone at north end off east shoreline. Went by kayak to see the ‘teenager’ on his first evening left all alone by the parents.
Aug 10-19, '23 - Regular visits from parents and the look chick for over a week.
Sun Aug 20, ‘23 - Mom & Chick feeding near our dock. - The Chick is diving and feeding itself these days. Much more separation from mom
Wed Aug 23, ‘23 - Adult and chick at north end of Winter Harbor. Loon Chick sign is covered in empty mussel shells – funny. Someone’s using it as a feeding platform. River Otters?
Fri Aug 25, ‘23 - Pouring rain. Adult and chick near our dock.
Sat Aug 26, '23 am - TEN loon in middle of cove when I woke this morning. Went out in kayak to get some pictures. Then I was standing on shore, they came in clost to our dock. When the dogs spotted them they raced to end of dock. Loon choas ensued. See video(click here).
Sat Aug 26, '23 pm - Saw both parents and chick just south of us.
Sun Aug 27, '23 am - On 4th try I found the "Ragged.Island" family. A 2nd chick was abandoned on a nearby lake. The 'orphan' was presented to a pair near Ragged Island whose egg did not hatch. I'm happy to show the family thriving. Pictures aren't great due to weather, but I was excited to finally find them.
Sun Aug 27, '23 pm - Out Winter Harbor family was having an afternoon feed near the Loon Chick sign.
Mon Aug 28, '23 am - I stepped out on to the deck for breakfast only to see the mom(?) and chick 10' from shore off of our small beach. So peaceful.
Mon Aug 28, '23 noon - While prepping lunch I heard loon calling from across Winter Harbor. I took my lunch down to the dock to see the loon chick sitting alone 100' away, near the loon chick sign. The mom(?) was still calling from across the water. Eventually the mom made her way back to the chick and theyu cruised out to the middle of Winter Harbor. Directly off of our dock.
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Sep 2023
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September pictures. One adult Loon and chick are often seen off our dock. But we rarely see both adults together now. I assume it is the mom hanging with the chick at this point.
Click HERE to view September daily loon log (also click to collapse)
Tue Sep 5, '23: Loon and chick were off of our dock and got a blurry picture of the adult bands on one leg: Green and Red/White/Black.
Fri Sep 8, '23: Loon and chick just south of our dock. About 2 months old now. Heard some calls active overnight.
Wed Sep 13 6:30am: Loon pair south of our dock.
Thu Sep 14: Single adult loon, middle of the cove around noon. Saw whole loon family near the nest at 5pm. Saw adult pair that are beginning to show white feathers off of north end of Little Bear island
Fri Sep 15 noon: Mom and Chick swimming in the middle of Cove off of our dock.
Sat Sep 16 7:30am: Two adult loons, chasing each other back-and-forth, eventually south out of sight (assuming it was resident chasing an intruder). Single adult stayed in middle of cove calling. No sign of chick.
Sun 916: Adult loons between nest and Libby museum. No chick sighted.
Mon, 917 7:30am: Adult and check Street off of our dock
Tue, 9/18 Solo adult loon, straight off of dock. No chick in sight.
Wed, 9/19 7:00am: Adult and baby loon south of doc.
Thu 9/21. 2 adults of swim platform.
Fri 9/22. Adult and chick near Libby Museum about 8:30am. Adult & chick in close to our swim platform 1pm.
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Oct 2023
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October pictures. The family has been together in early October and then the chick on its own by the 10th.
Mark brought in the loon signs to store over the winter for the Loon Preservation Committee!
Click HERE to view October daily loon log (also click to collapse)
Mon Oct 2. 6 PM. All three loons, cruising past our dock having dinner.
Thu Oct 5. Loon family, off nesting island, middle.
Mon 10/9 all 3 loons south of dock.
Wed 10/11. 10:30am. Solo juvenile off of our dock.
Mon 10/16. 6:00pm. Juvenile off of dock..
Tue 10/17. 7:0am. Adult and juvenile having breakfastright off of dock.
Wed 10/18. 4:00pm. Adult and juvenile near Libby Museum.
Fri 10/20. 2:00pm. Single loon south of us.
Mon 10/23. 7:30am. Adult and juvenile off of dock.
Sat 10/28. 8:00am & 2:00pm. Adult and juvenile off of dock.
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Nov '23
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November pictures. Loons are still around. Colors started popping.
Click HERE to view November daily loon log (also click to collapse)
Thu Nov 2. 7:00am. Single loon on opposite shore.
Fri Nov 3. Noon. 6 adults gathering north of us.
Sat Nov 4. 8:00am 2 loons at north end of WH.
Tue Nov 7. 7:00am 2 loons opposite shore, south of us.
Thu Nov 9. 8:00am 2 loons far from dock in snow.
Thu Nov 23. 2:00pm Lone loon on sunny Thanksgiving day far out.
Sun Nov 26. 8:00am Saw a solo loon at north end. Went out in kayak and could not find it. Decided to go to nest island and try for close up photo of nest. Water level was low and nest was above eye level seated in kayak. While contemplating stepping into water to get a better view I heard hoot noise and behind me, 25 yards away, was the loon - staring at me. Spooky. I quickly left the loon's nest area.
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Dec '23
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December pictures. Went kayaking on Dec 23rd and saw a bald eagle, but no loons. Lots of Mergansers and Mallards gathering for migration.
Loons are still around.
Click HERE to view December daily loon log (also click to collapse)
Sat 12/2. 2:00pm Saw single loon in winter plumage at north end. Followed 30 minutes later by a pair right off of our dock
Sun 12/3. 9:00am 2 loon off of our dock.
Thu 12/7. 1:00pm Single loon norht of us. Ice is forming.
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NH - 2023 
