In my message a few days ago about Birds at Eliguk L., I said I would post a
story about a loon nest. About 7-10 days before I got to Eliguk L. on June
10, a piece of grassy muskeg broke away from the shoreline on a windy day and
drifted onto the dock at Eliguk L. Lodge. It was about 10 ft. sq. and had a
nest with two Common Loon eggs. The adults were in the lake a short distance
away. A couple of men there hooked an anchor into the grass island and tried
to tow it up the lake shoreline. It didn't work too good so they got a boat
with a bigger motor and proceeded to push the grassy island. The loons swam
a little distance ahead of them. After they had pushed the grass about 200
yards up the shoreline, the loons by their actions of swimming toward the
shore indicated that they wanted their nest at the base of a large rock with
some protective trees for shade. The grass island was tethered to the trees
to hold it in place. It took only about 20 minutes after they backed off
from the area for one of the loons to get back on the nest. Knowing exactly
where the nest was allowed us to monitor it until the eggs hatched and the
parents with two baby loons showed up on the lake on June 25. When I left on
June 29 the two babies were still alive.

Another item of interest about loons is the congregation of a number of loons
in the lake in the early morning, 0600-0800. The most I saw this year is
eight in one group. In previous years I have seen up to 17 together. After
a while they begin taking off one of two at a time until there are only 5-6
left which is the number there is usually on the lake all the time. The next
morning they will be back congregated in one group. It is as if they are
discussing where they will spend the day. Is this typical behavior for
Common Loons? This is the only place I have seen this, but Eliguk L. is the
only really remote lake I have spent any time at.

Hugh Jennings
Bellevue, WA
hughbirder at aol.com