Loon chicks nest_Real????
 

Anyone seen this in Winter Harbor? It's a floating triangular wood frame loon chicks caution nest. Going by it the other day and the graphics appear to be somewhat homemade. Maybe an effort to keep boaters out of the shore owners area? Maybe it's real but it looks like some questionable vehicle inspection stickers I've seen in the past. Not a great picture with the sun reflection. The sign background is actually red.

It's real. Been in that location for many years. The loon nest is nearby.

Interesting. Been boating this area since 2012. Never saw it before. Maybe it was located in a different location along the shore. This is now right along the NWZ path going into the basin near Tuftonboro Neck Road.
Also, hasn't nesting season come and gone?

That is a sign put there by the loon people. I saw them bring it in. Nobody seems to have seen the baby though so we are worried something happened to it.

So I assume it's a caution sign for chicks nesting on shore and not an actual floating nest?

chick
 

Lots of snapping turtles in the lake.

Don't assume that--please just give them as much space and quiet as you can

No, it's a sign to tell boaters that there is a baby loon floating around in the area where they put the sign and to watch out for it. Sometimes they do put signs out when the loons are actually still nesting but that is a different sign. Unfortunately I think this one was put out to late to save the baby. A boat could have hit it, the eagle could have gotten it. I am told snapping turtles won't eat them but I don't know if that is true. Another loon will also kill it and two people told me they saw loons fighting just before the baby seemed to be missing. The traffic was pretty heavy the weekend before it went missing with a wake boat going around and around in the area where it was. So we will never know what happened but we are pretty sure it is a sad ending. The pair had two babies and they weren't feeding the other one, so the Loon Society took it to rehab but it also didn't make it. So sad.

We had 2 chicks hatch successfully near us on Merrymeeting. They lasted for a day. Several other loons flew in, there was a major battle during the night, and the chicks haven't been seen since.

Clearly the loons haven't figured out they are endangered. :rolleye1:

Clearly not. They defend their territory and will kill other chicks for sure. I am sad you lost your loons.

We're always sensitive to these beauties. Knowing now that the caution is real and that we have to travel under Tuftonboro neck road, there isn't much wiggle room in that NWZ to stay more than about 30-40 ft away from where the sign was. As of yesterday though, the sign is gone.

Loons' Special Call...
 

Have you heard the noisy fuss the Loons (and other critters) make when an eagle is overhead?

I sure have. They don't like the eagles around. Have you seen the eagles fight this summer?

It's a Jungle Out There!
 

Two mature Bald Eagles were soaring high over Libby Museum and Tuftonboro Neck Friday. :look:

Yesterday, late afternoon, a Loon started up with frantic calling--joined a few minutes later by a second Loon. :eek2:

A dense treeline blocked the view, but maybe five minutes later, with even more continuous calling, an immature Bald Eagle came into view and flew east towards Wolfeboro's Carry Beach.

The delay in the Eagle's appearance was probably due to the Eagle's stopping to scan "the menu" from a lakeside perch.
:look:

In the evening there were several together. I would love to know why people have seen them "gathering" all summer. Usually they don't gather until fall when they are getting ready to leave. Could it be protection?

We saw a group of 6 the other night.Attachment 15240

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We saw eight gathering by Harilla’s yesterday morning and this is distinctly earlier in the season than we have seen them. No eagles in the vicinity. Generally only a loon pair in this area.

I wonder if the loon society has any idea why they have been gathering all summer.

Loons in groups
 

I wonder if these magnificent birds are doing this for a reason. Seems to be more grouping this year, never seen it so prevalent during the summer months. I am curious if this is a reaction to the emergence of the eagles everywhere. Would not surprise me considering their intelligence and ability to adapt for over 20 million years.