Loon Update and Supporting Wildlife

 The photos below were taken on September 3rd. Phyllis (top) and Phineas (bottom) are closer in size and both actively dive with their parents. Even though Phineas' bill tip is growing out, we can still tell them apart.

They have been all over the northwestern end of the lake but seem to prefer areas where there are yellow perch, like the one Dad is about to deliver.

Below, Phineas got the prize, but there were plenty more to go around.

It is amazing how fast they grow, and both chciks are showing nearly full-grown wings and will soon be trying them out.

Jon got a chance to spend some time with Phyllis, who drifted close enough for him to get a good look at the inside of a loon's mouth. Look closely at the underside of the upper bill, and you can see the fleshy "tooth-like" projections that help hold on to a slippery fish.

If you sit still nearby long enough, sometimes you get a visit. Phineas was still a good 10-20 yards away when the photo was taken (with a 500mm lens). The foot waggle is something they do once in a while, but we like to consider it a "friendly wave".

We have not seen the tangled loon in a while and its companion is rarely seen. However, we still get visiting loons and the young one below seemed fairly comfortable with me nearby after having taken a bath. We suspect this is a mature loon looking for a lake. Our youngsters will look like that after a couple of years on the ocean and until they are able to find a mate and nesting site (around the age of 5 or 6). Such a treat to spend time with these magnificent beings!

Above are two of the many goldfinches that visit our yard, especially in late summer and through the winter, looking for food. Below, a red squirrel collects a hemlock cone for its winter cache of food.

This is also the season for goldenrod and other late-blooming flowers that provide nectar and pollen for a wide variety of insects that helps them prepare for winter or migration. Below is a Tricolored bumblebee gathering pollen and nectar.

Just a reminder - that pollen is carried from flower to flower by insects, not by wind. Goldenrod is not causing late summer allergies; it is wind-pollinated plants like ragweed that are to blame.

Goldenrod is also an important support for migrating Monarchs.

So are other late blooming flowers like Sedum (below) and Joe Pye weed.

Many of us have been feeding hummingbirds all summer. Just as important is making sure their offspring have that food source.  The young male below is one of three offspring of one of our hummingbird pairs. It is already patrolling its "hummingbird feeder" territory, keeping its sisters away. 

How do we know it is a male? Look closely below for a single red feather on its throat. In the shade, it is black, but in the sun, it looks red due to the feather structure. Remember to keep your feeders up for a while after the summer residents leave; there may be migrating hummingbirds that could use a refueling stop!

We can do so much to support wildlife by making simple adjustments to what we plant and what we leave behind for the winter and clean up at the right time in the spring.