I try to keep a distance from the loons, but have several times over the past few years had one or more come up and swim close to me. This is the first time I felt I was being tasked to step in as a baby sitter.
Left by mom next to my kayak, the baby eyed me intently.
The mother and baby swam up close to my kayak, then the mother disappeared under the water to fish, while the baby stayed above water chilling out near my kayak. Normally the baby swims in the water following the direction the mom went under the water in peeping all the way. This time the baby was quiet.
A few minutes later the mother came up with a fish.
She tried to present it to the baby.
The baby turned its head away. Either it was full or it was too big for it.
Mom continued to swim around with the fish in its mouth hoping the baby would change its mind. Who knew? My new summer side hustle in life is a loon babysitter.
Loons are fun birds to watch. I took 3 kayak trips on a lake over three days. Each time I watch these loons for an hour or so. I have a zoom lens ,an extender and these are cropped.
The lighting changed even within the hour or so I watched them this day. It depended on which way they were facing, cloud cover, and what objects they were near. In this case I believe the green colour was a reflection in the water from a boat cover. The mom kept the little one near the shore of the lake.
Mom! That’s too big for me!
The parents kept parading around with small fish that seemed much too big for the baby. I think the baby finally ate them when they cut them in pieces. It is fun to watch nature. Loons are becoming my favourite birds. They have such personality.
Normally I don’t say where I find most of the wildlife I do. Loons are on most ponds and lakes in the Adirondacks that are long enough to host them and with enough fish. These loons are on Loon Lake, of all places, in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.
The baby’s legs are straddled out. It seemed to have a hard time balancing itself on the parent’s back at times.
This was the first time I was lucky enough to see a baby riding on its parent’s back. I have been up looking for this in June and July in previous years, but missed out in the past. I went up to stay for two nights, and made three kayak trips on Loon Lake. I saw them each time.
This parent had babysitting duty. The other parent was out and about feeding itself and came back periodically to try to feed the baby.
The other parent returning with the fish.
I was told by someone who lived along the lake that there were two eggs, but one never hatched. Most of the land around the lake is private residences or residences as investment property/ rental.
The baby was all tuckered out or knackered.
I probably took one hundred pictures on the first two of the three kayaking trips I made this short vacation. Get out and experience new things! Nature is a beauty to behold.
What kind of wildlife can you see on Loon Lake in the Adirondack Mountains? Currently one thing you can see is an active eagle’s nest. This is Loon Lake near Lake George. There is another Loon Lake father north in the ADK.
A summer resident of the lake community who was also kayaking was nice enough to lead me to the nest. Not sure if she wanted me to identify her, but thank you if she ever sees this. The nest is high in a tree on private property next to the lake.
I saw both parents in the same area and one eaglet. The eaglet appears to be about the size of the parents. This one would have been born this year. This was taken from a kayak while there was motorboat traffic. It is not as clear as I would have liked.
Here’s hoping they leave the resident loons alone and do not consider them as a meal option.
There is more than one Loon Lake in New York. One is north of the Saranac Lake/ Lake Placid area, but does not have public access. The second Loon Lake, which I visited, is in Warren County northwest of Lake George and it has public access.
How to Get There
You can get to Loon Lake by taking 87, the Adirondack Northway north from Lake George. Take the exit for Chestertown/Highway 8. Travel west past Chestertown. There are two access points on the southern end of the lake. The first one charges a fee, but it also has a free boat wash you can use without paying to put your kayak in. The second location is very closeby. This location is a town recreation area with a beach and parking right along highway 8.
This is the boat launch that charges a fee.
Loon Lake is 525 acres in size. The length of the shoreline is just under 12 miles. It has many houses on the southern end. I was told many of these are summer homes or rentals. The majority of houses have dock and motorboats.
There was more activity on this lake than I am used to, but I will say the boaters kept a safe distance from this kayaker. People were very friendly on and off the lake.
I could hear thunder the entire time I was on the lake, so I may have done less than half the lake. The thunder was in the distance, but always think of safety first.The dogs seemed to enjoy riding on a stand up paddleboard.This man zoned back and forth on the lake on a hoverboard.Arriving back at the beach. The beach is next to highway 8. The parking is right next to the road.
Overall I would say this is a nice place to paddle. It is not as busy as Lake George, but you are not totally isolated. There are also several other lakes within a short drive of this lake.If you want to paddle a lake in an areas with a friendly, small town feel go to Loon Lake in Warren County, New York. It is another great Adirondack paddle.
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