My favorite bird

The windows of my soul I throw
Wide open to the sun.
~John Greenleaf Whittier, My Psalm

My Loon

There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.

~Willa Cather



Here is my Loon chick - all grown up and getting ready to migrate. The night he was born, there was a huge storm on the lake and his sibling didn't make it. The lake was full of predators such a Pike, Eagles and snapping turtles. But with his parents help, he was able to dodge danger . There were jet skiers and boats that sometimes came too close - but still he was able to avoid them and dive under the water just in time.

And now as I let out a sigh of relief, I realize that he made it! He will live and have a family of his own someday. Life is good.

Raft

This is a Common Loon nesting on a floating raft made by local Loon Rangers in Gaylord, Michigan. This raft keeps the babies safe from predators which is especially important as Michigan's Loon population is declining.

It is important to note that you should never get too close to a nesting Loon. They are very sensitive and will abandon the nest if disturbed. Best to use your zoom lens from a far distance. They typically have two loon chicks which learn to swim within a day. I hope to get photos of the babies soon!

True North

"The True North begins when the Loon greets you."

- Greg Martinez






*This Saturday, I will have a craft booth featuring items from my nature store at the Gaylord Arts & Crafts Bazaar. It runs from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m and is located on the corner of First and Court Street. If you're in the downtown area, please stop by and say hi!

Look what I found!

I was so excited to have found my beloved Loon pair this morning, that I posted this photo on all 3 of my blogs! I kayaked all over Big Bradford lake to find these two - listening carefully for their haunting call across the water. And to make things even better, I heard a Loon on my own lake (Little Bradford Lake) this morning. So tomorrow I will load up the kayak and go looking for him. It goes without saying, the Common Loon is my favorite bird!

Waiting for my Loons

Lakehood - a poem by Loons Forever

a lake

needs a loon

to laugh with the moon

to be a lake




I'm headed to our log cabin tomorrow morning. I am very excited to see if my Loons have returned yet. If the lake ice is fully broken up, then I may be in luck!

Return of the Loons

“I would start worrying if the loon is having trouble, because the loon is eating the same fish that people are eating. It's a good early warning signal.” - Dave Evers

The one thing I am looking forward to most this spring is the return of my loons. I don't think there is a more beautiful sound than the wild call of the loon across the lake on a misty morning. I will be looking out for them this summer. Last year I picked up numerous discarded fishing lines that could've strangled them and their loon chicks. I had to paddle my kayak over to these people on a boat that were getting to close to the loons and frightening them and their babies. (In case you aren't aware - if a Loon comes up out of the water with its wings or gives its tremolo call - you are too close.) I am hoping more people appreciate the loons and their fragile state. They are an excellent indicator of the health of our lakes and their beauty is to be enjoyed.

Missing the Loons already

One of the things I will miss most this winter is the presence of the Loons. Soon they will be migrating and I will no longer hear their haunting call across the lake.

Loons are a favorite subject of mine on my birding blog and it has poured over occasionally to my log cabin blog.

This photo depicts a Loon "social gathering." To learn more about this ritual, please click here.