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----- Original Message -----
From: "Nancy P Dowd" <nancypdowd@gmail.com>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2014 2:43 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] Loon activity
> This afternoon I heard two Loons exchanging their plaintive "woo-woo..."
> calls about 300' from one another (guess, based on sound alone).
> Eventually one went by at a furious pace rapidly sculling with its wings-
> more or less doing the butterfly stroke- in the direction of the other.
> After a while it came to a stop and dove. I never did see the second Loon.
> The one observed was in full adult plumage.
>
> I have no idea what they were up to, if anything. A common behaviour?
>
> Nancy
> L Torment, E Dalhousie, Kings Co.
>
Hi Nancy & All, Sept 11, 2014
This sort of activity, purpose uncertain, reminds me of---
START OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Hi Dusan & All, Aug 19, 2003
We saw similar strange antics in 2001, at about this time of year,
and I described them in a post of Aug 6, 2001 (pasted below with also
strange typos intact). A week or so later we saw a similar display.
Failing other ideas I thought it might be the loon equivalent "This
is my lake, buzz off".
DW
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\START OF PASTE
Dear All, Aug 6, 2001
On Saturday at Sunken Lake, Kings Co., we were surprised to
see two sets of young loons (1 small loon and 2 slightly larger
imm. loons) and at least three matures, having understood that
there is normally only one loon nest per small lake.
On Sunday morning, at about 8:00 a.m., we saw the
repercussions (perhaps) in the form of a showdown between two
adult loons, most of it obligingly staged within 200 yards of our
cottage. One loon (L1) flailed into view at the head of a cloud
of spray, that was raised by both wings hitting the water
vigorously, and within seconds a second loon (L2) followed. When
L2 got to within ~5 body lengths of L1, the chase began in the
form of a zig-zag, i.e. when L2 narrowed the gap too rapidly and
was almost withing striking distance, L1 would turn abruptly on
one wing, L2 would shoot harmlessly past and be ~8 body behind by
the time it got turned around again. At least once, L1 did a 180
and started chasing L2. A third adult loon was nearby while this
was going on, and make low un-loon-like worried 'whoo' sounds at
intervals. There was only one strike and there was so much water
flying I could not be sure that there was contact.
The chase lasted at least ten minutes (watch not nearby) and
ended when the lead loon dived. Several minutes later the tail
loon dived and within the next 1/2 hour a loon took off, circled
the lake and then crossed it to fly to the NW. Several minutes
later a second adult loon did the same.
Are immature loons able to fly by now ?
Yours truly, Dave Webster, Kentville
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ first END OF PASTE
Dusan Soudek wrote:
>Hi,
>a friend reports the following loon behaviours from Keji last weekend.
>Can anyone explain what went on here?
>Dusan Soudek
>.............
>Interesting experience at Site 24: More than 20 loons were flocking
>together rushing back and
>forth across Minards Bay honking, squawking and running and flapping
>across the water. They
>would submerge as a group and then pop-up elsewhere and repeat the loud
>activity again and
>again. This went on for hours. Sometimes they would break into two
>similar size groups but
>all tended to travel to the same location. About 7pm they were all
>gathered down near our
>site and started their recognizable forlorn loon call but all of them at
>the same time!
>Amazing! Unfortunately a large thunder shower cut them short.
>
END OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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>
>
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