>From Christine Maack, on loon spying behavior...
> 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.

I saw a loon attack at East Bay (Olympia) during migration a couple of years
ago. A Red-throated Loon was "minding its own business" near the shoreline and
a Common Loon was hanging out across the way. I saw the Common slowly lower its
neck and head to the plane of the water and simply sink out of sight. I timed
its submergence roughly, about a minute, and saw it emerge about halfway to the
Red-throated's spot. The Common then slipped below again.

Moments later, a sudden splashing at the bay's edge and that Red-throated went
madly away, dragging along in its harried semi-flight until it was out of the
area. I never saw the Common again and assumed it submarined out of the area.

And, unrelatedly...
> 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.

Maybe. Is there fishing at the lake? I've seen grebe legs nearly removed after
becoming entangled in fishing line.
--
Scott Richardson
northeast Seattle
salix at halcyon.com
http://www.halcyon.com/salix/