Subject: Loon spying
Date: Sep 25 01:33:22 1997
From: "CHRISTINE W. MAACK" - 73201.3124 at compuserve.com


Let's keep that loon thread going a bit longer, for us
digest folk ...

I've often seen loons and mergansers scoping along
with half their heads under water and always thought
they were looking for food, but last year at our Audubon
Loon Festival, a video on loons was running in one of
the alcoves and I caught the part where this behavior
was discussed. The video (I'll have to find the exact
reference for you if anyone insists) said they are looking
for approaching underwater enemies, the chief one of
which would be another loon seeking to drive them
from the territory. Yowie! I wouldn't want to be lounging
around in the water and get speared by one of those
bills.

At a nearby lake, we have Pacific Loons nesting every
year (or trying to at any rate; it's a very public lake and
their attempts usually fail). Before the loons arrive there
are grebes, mallards and wigeons on the lake, but after
the loons get there, the other species usually vamoose.
I once found a dead red-necked grebe floating along
the shoreline with one leg hanging by a thread, the other
cleanly amputated. We have no snapping turtles, no
sharks. Hmm, makes those loons look rather suspicious.

Chris Maack
Anchorage, AK
CMaack at compuserve.com