Long Lake Yarns

That’s me paddling with five, yes five, loons. We had no loon chicks hatch on the lake this summer. Early rumor was one hatched, but we think not. We know at least one pair was nesting on Belly Button Island when a major tornado-like blow blew through. Shortly after, the nest was abandoned. It is [...]

They made it to October!  There were four eggs in two nests this year. All hatched but one baby was never seen. These twins were born in late June in the south part of the lake. The twins and their parents were the more approachable of the two loon families. Sometimes they swam toward my [...]

In 2009, no Long Lake Loons nested successfully. At least one pair, and it seemed a few  unpaired adults, summered on the lake. But no chicks. Two couples got a bit of an early start this year on their nests. Male and female alternate sitting on the eggs.  By June 25th, this pair’s two chicks [...]

Hillman’s Long Lake is home to Common Loons. This will  be our fourth summer on the lake.  Each year we’ve watched a nesting pair on Belly Button Island.  Last year the nest was unsuccessful. Hopefully, come early July, we will once again enjoy the sight of a pair of loon babies riding on their parent’s [...]

For each of our first two years on the lake, the loon couple that nests on what we’ve nicknamed “Belly Button Island” raised two chicks. This is the Summer of 2008 family.  We watched them from April to October, often at close range in our kayaks.  The chicks were born at the end of June. [...]