A Common Loon family and a kayaking adventure. 7/18/2024.

What an awesome adventure on a local reservoir to see a Common Loon family with two very young chicks! Myself and four other birding adventurers kayaked on a late afternoon at 4:30 pm to see a Loon family that had been discovered earlier. We kayaked a fair amount (about 3-4 miles total) before spotting the family relaxing in a sheltered cove. Always respectful of distance and the birds, paddling ceased, and we let our kayaks drift. My favorite moment was seeing one chick just sleeping on its parent's back. Common Loons nesting on lakes is quite common in VT, NH, and ME, but quite rare in MA. Efforts have been made to reintroduce them to MA by relocating them here (Assawompsett Pond complex) and providing artificial nesting sites (Wachusett and Quabbin Reservoirs), but they are still quite rare to find in MA. Interestingly, they are very common on MA coasts where they winter in larger numbers. Common Loons exhibit nest fidelity so they will hopefully nest again in this location. I, myself, never look for the nest as they are so vulnerable and do not appreciate human interference as they can't swim away. Their nests are always very close to the water as walking is not their forte! If you approach these loons on the water, and they lift their body out of the water and flap their wings, they are telling you to back off. It is a territorial display. Of note, lead poisoning is an issue for these birds as they pick up lead sinkers and lead shot to help digest their food.