Tag: #LoonsOfNewYork

Upper St. Regis Loon

“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” 

Winston Churchill

The colour of the water appears to change in minutes when out kayaking on a lake. A lot of things come into play such as cloud cover, sunlight, time of day, what is nearby on land will all affect how the colour of the water appears. If you wait around you just may get to see the water appear to be different hue.

This is a loon from Upper St. Regis in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. In other pictures that day, the water appeared green and different shades of blue etc. Change sometimes is good.

Stuck in the Middle Loons

Clowns to the left of me

jokers to the right

here I am

stuck in the middle with you.

from the song Stuck in the Middle With You written by Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty and performed by Stealer’s Wheel

These Adirondack loons were pausing for passing planes and eagles as well as motor boat and jet ski action on the lake. I am sure the mom was teaching the baby about safely crossing the lake. The baby should be well prepared for life. Other things I saw the mom do this trip were attempt some fish hand offs in the water instead of above water, and having the baby attempt to fish in the buoyed area of the lake that boaters avoid due to boulders near the water’s surface.

We have had a cooler than normal wet summer. It has rained a little to a good amount most days. Get out and dodge those storms. Enjoy what you can.

Stuck in the Middle With You performed by the Steeler’s Wheel

Loons with Yellow

I made almost a week long trip to the Adirondack Mountains in New York. I am not kayaking as far as I did last year. Luckily I do not have to go far to see loons on the lakes I visited. All the pictures below are from one lake. These were over two days. Some were in the evening and others during the morning.

Parent cut off a piece to give the baby.
Spitting out water
Patiently waiting for someone to bring it a fish.
Riding the waves.

Slow down and enjoy nature. Sometimes you do not have to go as far as you think.

Loons with Colours in Water

Sometimes you lucky out with sunlight, and sometimes you don’t. One this morning after the fog lifted you could witness some great colours on the water. These are just two of many I got that morning.

What is on or near the shore affects what colours you see reflected on the water’s surface. It could be boats, boat covers, kayaks, SUPs, etc. Also if the sun happens to be behind your back or at an angle can affect how you see the colours.

Articles on our near shore can add to the photo in ways you may not have originally expected. Get out and enjoy the summer between the rain. If your weather is like New York, we have downpours almost everyday.

I Can’t Believe It Ate the Whole Thing!

I have had loons swim under my kayak before. This time a mother loon called to her mate. The mate came swimming back to watch the baby loon. The mother promptly went under water and popped up above water on the other side of my kayak. In its mouth was a big fish.

She then went under the water and I could locate her by the light coloured fish she had in her mouth going under my kayak. She then popped up on the side she was originally on, but close to my kayak. I thought for sure she was going to share it with her mate. Nope! I can’t believe she ate the whole thing herself!

Was she showing up her mate by catching a big one so fast? Was she showing off to me? Nature is better than TV. Loons are pretty cool birds. As always keep your distance. If they approach you, let it be on their terms.

Loon Babysitting

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.

Baby Loon Riding Mom

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.