Welcoming our First Chick

On Saturday, the first chick hatched and is doing fine. Its name is Phyllis. This year's chicks are named by the Andrews family, and they requested we start with Phyllis, the name of a recently passed family dog. As always, the sex of any chick is unknown unless it gets banded and has blood drawn. As you will see below, Phyllis is a lively youngster.

Phyllis has spent a lot of time under the wing of a parent but would occasionally pop out for a look around.

After sitting with Dad in a short period of sunshine, she decided to hop into the water to join Mom.

Dad soon joined them, and both parents stayed close by to keep an eye on Phyllis and for danger.

Danger to chicks comes from above and below the water surface. Often one parent is looking below to see if a snapping turtle or large fish might be nearby.

It wasn't long before Phyllis began looking for food. She still has food from her yolk sac, but was soon being offered water drops by a parent (below).

This morning she was being offered small minnows.

It did not take long to figure out how to take them from a parent and swallow them headfirst.

It is amazing how quickly a loon chick begins using its body, including climbing on a parent's back or under a wing.

A loon chick's fuzzy down does not provide much insulation from the cold, so swimming time is limited, and letting Dad carry her around is warmer and safer.

Dad is very watchful. Above, he is searching the sky for potential danger, especially eagles.

Dad returned to the nest to incubate the second egg, and it wasn’t long before Phyllis headed back to the nest to hang out with Dad and eventually seek a soft, warm spot under his wing.

These photographs were taken over a two-day period from a camouflaged position on shore on private property.  Using professional digital cameras with 500 mm lenses, we are able to crop the resulting photos  by 50% or more to make it look like we were several feet away.  We are privileged and pleased to bring you these photos in a way that does not disturb the family while providing insights into their lives.

Just before sending this newsletter off, Jen checked the nest and the second chick, Phineas, had hatched! We will keep track of them and continue to bring you news and photos as they move out onto the lake. Please be watchful and give them the space they need to be safe and thrive.