While observing a couple of loons at the Narrows Bridge recently, Rick Allmendinger was able to get some video as the two birds swam beneath the bridge. Always a great sighting from that vantage point!
You’ll notice in the video (slowed down and repeated for your viewing pleasure) that one of the birds has color bands on its legs. The Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) banded the nesting pair of loons on Chocorua Lake in 2016, but it turns out the bird in this video is not one of those two birds.
We sent the video to John Cooley at the LPC, and he and his colleagues determined that it was a male that had been nesting on Bearcamp Pond and banded in 2019. Though the female Chocorua Lake loon had been spotted in June, there was no known nesting this year on Chocorua. It’s unknown how long this Bearcamp loon has been at Chocorua.
John described this as an “off year for loon pairs” on a number of local ponds with little nesting. He reported to us that it’s too early to determine what is happening in the world of loons, but they have observed a number of intruder loons and sometimes that has impacts on the dynamics of the nesting season.
It will be interesting to hear what the LPC determines about this year once all their observations and data are in and possible conclusions drawn. Having adult birds banded, especially pairs, helps biologists understand how long loons live, and track pair formation, migration, and where they feed and nest. The bands are placed in a color pattern and combination that is specific for each individual bird—making it easier to see from a distance or while they are swimming under a bridge!
The Loon Preservation Committee is a wonderful resource for learning more about loons, the important work the LPC does related to loon research and education, and how you can help protect loons yourself.
A few days later Rick sent a longer slow-motion video. Need a pause for reflection at the end of a busy summer? Take a moment to breathe gently as the loons glide through the cool waters of Chocorua Lake.