Loons Returning to Long Lake

The article below was written by Claudia, 9th grade granddaughter of Carol Weston of Neighborhood #3, and describes some of the behaviors of the loons that she and her family have observed.

The video of the loon pitching mud in the rain was taken on May 16, 2015 at 5:31pm by Carol Weston. This mud nest was later destroyed by a predator and the loons then moved, creating a new nest as Claudia explains in her article.  The loons produced two chicks that matured to migrate in autumn of 2015.

We are hopeful the loons will return to nest successfully in Neighborhood #3 this season and beyond!

April 3, 2016 Article by Claudia, 9th grade granddaughter of Carol Weston, Neighborhood #3

Spring has arrived, the ice is going out as I sit here watching for my friends, the loons. We watch each year as they pull mud, weeds, and sticks from the water to build their nests. We have observed that when mating time comes, they make a cooing sound like a dove. They mate on a lump of dirt and grass and then retreat to their nest to lay their eggs.

In our bay, we have never had any eggs hatch because something always gets them, such as eagles, foxes, snapping turtles, and raccoons. They raise a fuss and screech loudly when something goes after their eggs. They fooled everyone last year when they laid a second batch of eggs deep within the reeds.  We got to view 2 babies and finally can say that the population of loons is growing!