Loons are back

[Quilt Lady]

Looking at Steve A's pictures, the birds are not loons but mergansers. The top image shows the male merganser's typical plumage (easily mistaken for a loon but it has no "necklace" and the lower portion of the body has too much white). In the second picture, the bird on the left has the pointy feathers on the back of the head, typical of the female merganser. The middle bird is the male (note the large amount of white at the waterline).

I think it is still early for loons. We have a regular that shows up year after year. He returns around the time of a normal "ice-out" with his lady returning a week or two later. The male is checking out his territory before the lady returns for the breeding season. The males don't hang out in groups in the spring like they do in the fall. They are quite solitary at this time of year.

I'm no expert so I could be wrong. I'm still looking for "our" regular loon.

[Jonas Pilot]

Originally Posted by Quilt Lady

Looking at Steve A's pictures, the birds are not loons but mergansers. The top image shows the male merganser's typical plumage (easily mistaken for a loon but it has no "necklace" and the lower portion of the body has too much white). In the second picture, the bird on the left has the pointy feathers on the back of the head, typical of the female merganser. The middle bird is the male (note the large amount of white at the waterline).

I think it is still early for loons. We have a regular that shows up year after year. He returns around the time of a normal "ice-out" with his lady returning a week or two later. The male is checking out his territory before the lady returns for the breeding season. The males don't hang out in groups in the spring like they do in the fall. They are quite solitary at this time of year.

I'm no expert so I could be wrong. I'm still looking for "our" regular loon.

You beat me to the punch by 10 minutes you rascal you QL.

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by Quilt Lady

I'm no expert so I could be wrong. I'm still looking for "our" regular loon.

I guess I may be the "regular loon" today ...

Thanks all for the correction, and the education. That's what I get for getting out of bed too early everyday.

I think it's nap time... Glad I spent my out of focus picture on the Merganser.

[Quilt Lady]

I looked out over the lake this morning and saw my first loon of the season. He was about 150 feet from shore and just drifting around. So now spring is really here.

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Our loon pair is back in Green's Basin!!!!!

[RandallDunn]

My wife and I will be up to the Lake 6-13 May to open up the cabin. Can't wait to see some of the new Loon "puff balls." How Exciting!