I don't know why I am so enchanted with the loon, but I can't keep the big bird out of my thoughts.
Perhaps it is the loon's haunting
cry, maybe it is the immense size of the loon, or maybe it is that the
loon is a throwback to a time, long, long ago. Whatever it is, I am
blessed to have a pair of loons nesting on my land, and double blessed
that in 1995 they gave birth to two chicks, the only two-chick birth
recorded in the 1995 loon count of my region. In 1996 the loons moved
down the cove, unfortunately. (Perhaps the rent I was charging them was
too much.) But again, they gave birth to two chicks.
The common loon (Gavia immer) is anything but common. Red-eyed, with distinctive black and white markings, the loon has a dagger like beak that apparently is perfect for its long, underwater fishing trips. The loon is most closely related to primitive birds, and its soliloquy of cries can sound eerily prehistoric. It is silent in winter, but in summer the loon is truly loquacious, with a repertoire of sounds that haunt the lake or waterway with strange laughter-like calls, falsetto wails and strange yodeling. At night, the effect is absolutely mesmerizing.
True to its reclusive and solitary nature, the loon prefers a secluded lake or estuary. This bird is an excellent swimmer and can stay underwater for minutes, but its life on land is another story; larger than most ducks, and with its feet well toward its tail, the loon is extremely awkward and most vulnerable on land. As a result, the loon nests as close to the water as possible, nearly throwing itself out of the nest and into the water. Graceful in the water and in flight, they are almost comical on take-offs and landing. Their size (an adult is about 2 feet or 60 cm long), solid bone structure and weight distribution (8 to10 pounds or 3.6 to 4.5 kg) result in thrashing water take-offs that can last 100s of feet. The loon's landing is nothing so much as a controlled crash-glide. (Maybe now I know why I love them so).
The picture above of a loon taking off in its characteristic bump-fly-bump-fly manner comes from Bob Mephisto who lives in the Bay of Quinte Area, located about 160 Km east of Toronto Canada. He and I have exchanged loon photos and html.
I receive many visits to this loon page from those who live in or have come to vacation in the parts of North America where loons summer. Many have asked me fascinating questions. Below are several sites that may be of further interest to loon lovers.
This link will send you to the American Indian Heritage Foundation which has a wonderful story of the Grandmother and the loon.
If you would like to hear a short snip of a loon call, visit this site. (You will need a sound player for your web browser; many now come with sound players.)
You can see a beautiful picture of a loon nesting on the shore of a pond near Auburn, Maine. (Be aware that downloading the big picture at that site is will take quite a while as it is over 400K.)
And finally, for those who want the Phylum, Class, Order, Family and some fascinating facts about the common loon, visit this page at the Museum of Zoology of the University of Michigan.