We are privileged in the State of Michigan to be host to the Common Loon when it displays its breeding plumage of black and white. Its distinctive call announces the arrival of Spring to the North Country.
The photos above were taken in Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Common Loon on the left was the "big daddy" calling all the shots. The photo on the right was the "good ole boys". The McGills always feel very privileged when the Common Loons allow them to photograph and film them. These "boys" let the McGills shoot them for over twenty minutes.
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The Common Loon has been prey to acid rain, pollutants, lead posioning from fishing sinkers and high levels of mercury contaminats.
Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has one of the lowest levels of mercury in their pool system. Therefore, the Common Loon population has flourished there in recent years. The photos above and below are of some of Seney's Common Loon population.
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Common Loon can measure up to 3 feet in length and weigh up to 12 pounds, the male being the larger. During breeding season the Common Loon has beautiful black and white plummage. It is predominately black with white checks on it's back, black head, white striped neck and white chest. The Common Loon's eye when photographed properly shows off it's amazing red color.
The Common Loon is a graceful swimmer generally sitting low in the water. It is also a superior diver catching its sustaining meal of fish or invertebrates.
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Due to the postioning of its feet located at the back of its body the Common Loon requires a minimum of one quarter of a mile of open water to take off. Note the "walking on water" of these three male Common Loons at Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Also because of the location of its feet the Common Loon needs to slow itself down by landing on its belly as seen in the photo on the left.
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During breeding season the male Common Loon is the first to return to its former territory.The younger males try to win over the territory and the female who returns later in the season. During this time is when the Common Loon uses its vocals the most. The breeding pair once established is very aggressive at defending its territory.
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The Common Loon makes its nest of aquatic vegetation at the edge of small islands or projections of land near water. Some Common Loon use the floating nests that have been generously built and placed in areas where water levels and human habitat would have otherwised displaced them.
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The pair of Common Lon generally incubate two eggs for up to thirty days. the young leaves the nest and can float on water the day after is it born. But because of its buoyancy the parents generally keep them on their backs till they can maneuver on their own usually at two weeks old. They can fly at around eleven weeks old.
This past year Seney National Wildlife Refuge was hit with a cold Spring and an abudance of black flies. This drove the parents off the nest for relief from the bugs thus exposing their eggs to the cold.
F Pool was the only active nest of young that survived within viewing range of visitors to Seney National Wildlife Refuge. Only six young were produced in 2008 far below the record 24 produced in 2007.
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The Common Loon in the above four photos are of the E Pool parents at Seney National Wildlife Refuge with their young from the past two years. The McGills were allowed to bond with these Common Loons if for only a few hours. They shared their babies with the McGills who unobtursively sat within the brambles and bugs so as to not intimidate them.
After their first unsuccesful nest, the pair re-clutched in late June of this year. The McGills were fortunate enough to see the babies when they were only a few day old. When the McGills returned in less than a week only one baby was left. The parents were diligently trying to feed the young. By the next day, it was confirmed by Damon McCormick, the resident loon specialist with Common Coast at Seney National Wildlife Refuge, that E Pool's second clutch was unsuccessful. It was so sad to see the parents and hear their mournful laments.
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The photos on the right above and on the left below are of ABJ the male parent on F Pool in Seney National Wildlife Refuge. He is the oldest known Common Loon in the world at the age of 21. He was born on the Refuge and returned as is usual for the males at the age of three to its home to find a mate. He is the ideal parent staying with his young tll he was sure they could fend for themselves.
Usually the parents leave the young by the end of August or first of September. The young stay until they are strong enough to fly off to their wintering location along the Atlantic from the Carolinas to Florida.
ABJ kept watch over his two young, feeding them, showing them how to fish and fly. One young seemed to be more helphless than the other. ABJ was constantly feeding it and watching over it. By September 30th the McGills thought he was finally flying off. But, no, within fifteen minutes he was back to stay with his young. Damon said he would not leave them now till they were ready to fly with him, which he hoped would be soon for all of their sakes.
ABJ and his two young all finally left the Refuge in mid October. The McGills anxiously await the return of Spring and the calling of the Common Loon at Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
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2010 has been a great year for the McGill's filming and photograhing the Common Loons at Seney National Wildlife Refuge.
They have been following the pair on G Pool via the Fishing Loop. First was the making of the nest, next was a week by week updating of the pair as they shared nesting duty. The male was the one who spent more time on the nest.
The 'changing of the guard" was awesome to watch. The one loon would slide off the nest as the other came to take its turn.
It would laboriously climb on to the nest standing up on its feet. Once on the nest it would then turn each egg before settling in for several hours of tedious watching and waiting.
The most awesome event happened early on the morning of June 13, 2010. It was a grey gloomy morning but Teresa felt they needed to go and check on the loons. After waiting patiently for almost two hours....
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The male started in yodeling as he came back to the nest area. The female was on the nest but acting fidgety. When the male came up to check on her, she decide it was time for her to have a break. As soon as she moved off the nest, they could see a small still body. It appeared at first that it wasn’t alive. The pair started in with the Laugh call. They were very excited about the hatching of their baby. This was at 8:45 am. After watching the male take his turn on the nest they did see that the young was alive. YEAH!!!
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Mainly daddy on the nest incubating the young and mommy luring the first young out of the nest and finally into the water!!! How awesome this is!!! The McGills were so amazingly lucky to be able to not only witness this great event but to be able to capture it on film to share with others. SWEET!!!
The first chick did not stay in the water the whole time. It did get back in the nest with daddy until mommy came back again. This time the little tike not only got in the water but ….on its mommy’s back!! Which of course is what everyone wants to see and film. TOTALLY AWESOME!!!
After eleven hours in one spot, the McGills left the family with the young in the nest secure under daddy’s wings. As mommy floats off to de-stress. LOL! It will be hard for the McGills to top this day…if ever.
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Michael & Teresa McGill-McGills Nature in Motioin
3142 Knipe Rd., Central Lake, Michigan 49622
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