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Happy Halloween from our very Pleasant Lake
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Having reported last time that our male Loon had left the Lake, he reappeared on the 28th and spent some time with an un-banded adult (below right). Local loons are moving to wintering grounds mostly in the Gulf of Maine. Sadly, most Loons are not banded so it is impossible to tell if it could a former chick or what sex it is.
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Their time together was relaxed and included a long bout of preening followed by a double bridle. Adults are molting into plumage more similar to juveniles, but the white spots on their still mostly black wings distinguish them as mature. Their bills still are mostly or partly black, unlike a juvenile's greyish bill.
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Our pair is banded, but from a distance we may not always be able to see the bands. Still, we can often get a good idea of who they are this time of year by their distinct bill molting patterns. You can see the bill differences in the photos below. Our male (top) has more grayish color on the lower half of his bill than our female (bottom). The female's body looks different in the photo because she is on her side. Eventually their bills will turn grey for the winter. They will be apart all winter. Hopefully our pair will be back together next May and have a calmer summer.
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On Thursday evening (October 28) Jen and I took advantage of a break in the weather to tour the Lake. We saw a total of 7 Loons. The six loons below are adults (their wings have the characteristic white spots). This time of year, as migration begins, Loons gather together peacefully.
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The left most loon above is our female and our male is second from the right, below the distant loon.
The seventh Loon, swimming in front of Mt. Kearsarge below, could be the immature recently seen with both our male and female.
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This past week we have seen these two Bald Eagles on Pleasant Lake. They fly about together, from one big White Pine to another, frequently vocalizing.
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You can see they still have a little bit of brown in their white tail and head feathers. According to Chris Martin, senior biologist and raptor specialist at NH Audubon, these birds are 4 years old. He told me “ they are just the right age for establishing a new breeding territory”.
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A bald eagle nest near Pleasant Lake would be very exciting, but our Loons would not be happy about it! If you see these Eagles building a nest or flying about carrying sticks in February/March we would love to hear about it!
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October can be a wonderful time to kayak on the Lake, especially early on a calm frosty day. Here is a glimpse of its morning moods
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Our regular Fall visitors are also around in the morning and near dusk. Below, a flock of Canada Geese are landing in Turtle Cove.
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Mallard Ducks have been on the Lake all summer, but only recently have the males been showing their brand new breeding plumage. Unlike most North American birds, ducks molt into their breeding plumage in late fall and keep this plumage through the winter while they form pairs. Many songbirds get their breeding plumage before Spring migration and pair up afterwards .
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A recent evening cruise turned up a flock of Wood Ducks sporting amazing fresh breeding plumage. The females don’t change, maintaining a more camouflaged coloration all year.
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After breeding in the spring, the males lose their gorgeous feathers and molt into a female-like plumage until the fall.
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Another interesting fact about ducks is that they molt all of their flight feathers at once, and cannot fly for about a month during late summer. These Wood Ducks may have been in Turtle Cove all summer, but hiding out during molting to avoid predators.
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Fall may not have been at its usual best color in New Hampshire, but Pleasant Lake still put on quite a show.
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We will be back in a couple of weeks with our wrap up of the season. Usually that would be a summary of the Loon's adventures. This year we would like to bring you some of our favorite photos taken around Pleasant Lake and its watershed.
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To subscribe to this newsletter or see recent issues click here.
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To be continued... Jon and Jen
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Photographs by Jen Esten and Jon Waage
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| PLPA is managed by volunteers and supported by member donations. If you wish to become a member please visit http://plpa.net/membership/. |
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Ours is not the only lake blessed with loons in New Hampshire. As members and supporters of the Loon Preservation Committee, we encourage you to visit their website ( https://www.loon.org/ ) to learn more about loons and LPC's efforts and help others in the area enjoy the treasures we have here on Pleasant Lake.
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