42 degrees F Cloudy Wind 7mph SE
The loons have already been up on the nest this morning and mated once again but have left the nest.
Right now there is something happening that is not good.
One loon is chasing another!
I am not sure which one is which but this looks like a territorial battle and chase. Both loons are scurrying across the surface of the water as fast as their legs and wings can propel them. Round and round. Back and forth.
A couple days ago, I saw a single "intruder" loon most of the way across the lake. "Our" loons swam over to check him out but I did not see any confrontation.
Yesterday morning as I was leaving for a meeting, my neighbor met me in the driveway saying that two loons were fighting near the nest. Unfortunately I did not have any time to come back and observe what was going on. So I do not know for sure what happened there. [I did not get home until late last night so I have not had a chance to read the chatroom to see what anyone posted about yesterday.]
But right now the chase is on.
I would be thoroughly enjoying the spectacle and laughing at them if I did not know how serious something like this was.
Back and forth they are going. Chasing each other.
It is this kind of confrontation that can lead to a change of territory among loons.
Or worse, can lead to injury.
Right now, I want to go watch what is going on. I will try to write more later today ... although I probably won't be able to tell you definitively who 'won' and who 'lost'.
Comments or Questions? LoonCam(at)yahoo(dot)com
Copyright 2012 Larry Backlund