Upheaval at "Loon Pond", NY
The banded loon pair returned to Loon Pond by April 14th. The old female was banded in 2002 and has been on the pond every year since then, and who knows how long before that. She is a minimum of 27 years old. Her mate was banded in 2019 and was on the pond since 2018, so he has to be at least 11 years old. They have been a successful breeding pair, producing one or two chicks most years.
By May 30th the loons had made a nest on the back side of the big island with two eggs. They nested successfully in this same spot a few years ago. It was too cold to place a nest camera on the island when I visited on May 30, but I returned on June 3rd. When I arrived, the loons were tremoloing, very upset about something. They were both off the nest and swimming in the west end. I worried that they had lost their eggs, but I could not see any threat like an eagle or mink.
The male loon in hangover position on the nest, indicating he feels threatened. Photo by Ellie George 2024
I paddled to the nest, expecting to find broken eggshells or an empty nest, but instead both eggs appeared intact. I felt one and it wasn’t as warm as it would have been if the loon had just pushed off the nest. I worried that the eggs might have gotten chilled. The loons were still wailing in the main part of the pond, so I quickly got on the island and set up the nest camera. Even if the loons did not return to their nest, maybe I would see what creature had threatened the nest and scared the loons if it returned. Then I rapidly paddled back to the launch and waited to see if the loons would return to the nest, but while I was there, they did not. I feared that the eggs would die.
The female loon yawning, most likely because she just swallowed a fish. Photo by Ellie George 2024
I returned on June 5th and was surprised and pleased to find the male loon sitting on the nest. As usual, he was in hangover position, indicating stress, so I quickly paddled away. The female was fishing in the west end, and then did a series of yawns where she tipped her head straight up and opened her mouth wide. Loons often do this after they catch and swallow a large or prickly fish. It probably helps to move the fish down the digestive tract.
On June 12th I returned to Loon Pond and was unhappy to see both loons swimming close together in the west end. That meant that neither one was on the nest, and it was too early for the chicks to have hatched. Once again, I feared that the nest had been predated. I paddled down to the loons and noticed the female’s blue and green bands on her left leg and spotted her orange band on her right leg. I tried hard to see the male’s bands, but I could not. I noticed that his upper beak was curved downward a little, and I didn’t remember that. But maybe I was just closer to him than usual. The male was making lots of low hoots and cooing calls like loons make during courtship. I thought perhaps he was trying to get the female ready to nest again, which she has often done after losing a clutch of eggs early in the season. The female was fishing a little, and the male followed her each time she dove and resurfaced.
Sadly, I paddled to the island and started around to the back side where the nest was. I figured I would collect the broken eggshells if there were any left and take the nest camera down. As I rounded the bend I searched for the nest with my eyes, and suddenly, “Whoa!” There was a loon on the nest! How could this be?
Well, the loon on the nest had to be the banded male, the old female’s mate. Then who was the male she was hanging out with in the main part of the pond? The male on the nest could not see the main pond because the island blocked his view. I turned and noticed the old female following me toward the nest. Behind her, the new, unbanded male was coming. I didn’t want both males to see each other, because a fight might erupt. Quickly I paddle away from the nest and back out into the main pond, with the old female and new male moving with me. The two males did not get a chance to see each other.
The unbanded male loon with the female loon that has been nesting on “Loon Pond” since 2002. Photo by Ellie George 2024
The female and the new male swam together a little, and then the male dozed. The female joined him, dozing only a few feet away. Why was she tolerating this new male when her own mate was busy incubating her eggs? Usually when there is an intruding loon, the loon of the same sex will try to drive it from the territory, while the loon of the opposite sex watches but doesn’t participate. But the old female was acting pretty friendly to this new male, and he definitely was trying to win her over. I suspected that the two males were not yet aware of the other’s presence. When they found each other, a chase or a fight would most likely ensue. I waited for an hour to see if the female would go to the nest and exchange places with her mate, and then the banded male would have swum out to the main part of the pond, but this did not happen. When I left, both males were still on the pond.
The banded female pushing off the next. Photo by Ellie George 2024
I returned on June 18th. One loon was swimming in the far west end, and it swam back behind the island toward the nest. I paddled there, too, and found the male swimming in the shallow, boggy back part of the pond, and the female was in hangover position on the nest. The male swam toward her, and I thought they might do a nest exchange. The female pushed off the nest, and both loons swam out to the main part of the pond. I followed and watched both loons wing flap and preen. It appeared that the female was just taking a break from incubating. All seemed well, except for one thing. Once again, I saw all the bands on the female’s legs, but could not see a band on the male’s legs. Also, the male’s upper beak had that slight downward arc that I remembered from the new, unbanded male of last week. And then he clinched it, by rolling on his side to preen and holding his right leg out of the water. No bands! The new, unbanded male had displaced the banded, territorial holder of the last seven years. A battle royale must have ensued, because the banded male would not have given up his territory, his mate, and his unborn chicks without a huge effort. Loons, especially males, will sometimes fight to the death to defend their territories. A good territory means everything: food, a safe nesting site, a mate, and successful reproduction.
The new male did not show signs of injury, though. His feathers seemed perfect, and I didn’t notice any scars. Because the eggs in the nest are not his, he will not incubate them. Will the old female be able to incubate the eggs alone? This would give her no time for feeding and preening, unless she could take frequent short breaks to feed and then get back on the nest. Incubation is normally an equally shared duty between the male and female. And if she could successfully incubate, will the new male kill the chicks because they are not his? Will the female be able to feed them by herself if the male ignores them? Might the new male help to raise the chicks? Would the father, the banded male, return and try to regain his territory?
So many questions! I can’t wait to return to see what will happen, but I fear for the unborn chicks. This is not a good situation. Usually, territory turnovers happen before nesting begins, when the loons first return to their breeding lakes. They wait for territories to be clearly established before starting to nest. Stay tuned for this unprecedented event in the 14 years I have been monitoring Loon Pond. Before I left on that last visit, I watched the female swim back behind the island, presumably to get back on the nest.Let’s root for the old gal to pull off a miracle.
E.George, ACLC Field Staff & Naturalist