Someone really should tell loons that it’s really hard to blend in with your surroundings when you look like a big checkerboard.
I suspect it might be the same pair that were nesting in this spot a couple years ago. It’s not a great spot. In fact, it tends to be a little on the temporary side. If the water was about three inches higher, it would be underwater. And although it isn’t a heavily travelled area, it’s not exactly out of the way.
Loons nests don’t seem to be much. Just a little hollow on the ground. Eggs get laid and they sit on the nest for a while. If you happen to go by, and don’t get too close, they just pretend they’re invisible. This might work if they happened to be a colour that would blend with their surroundings. But the rather stark black and white thing sort of stands out on light brown dirt with little bits of green around.
Now, as for the getting too close part, I do not recommend it. I have done it by accident a couple times. Loons are large. And when they come charging at you telling you to back off and get away from their nest, you will take notice. They get pretty serious about you not being near them, and they are rather convincing.
Hopefully, the nest pays off and we get a baby loon or two around the area. Survival is not easy for little loons. There are a lot of things that go after them when they are small. Snapping turtles, large fish and eagles all line up to have a go at them. And the young loons, if they do manage to get big enough to get beyond the snack food stage can still suffer from what can only be described as fatal curiosity.
Last year I was rather thrilled to be sitting in my boat and have a young loon come by for a visit. He seemed rather intent on finding out what I was and came over to check it out. His mother was not impressed, and finally man aged to convince him to stay away. But he acted like a lot of other young creatures. Inquisitive and not overly aware of what dangers might be lurking.
Still, good to see loons nesting. Hopefully, it works out for them.
