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Tales From the Field - Truly Wild Winni, Part I

By Vincent Spagnuolo

Last season (2010) while roping off a loon nest in Robert's Cove (Plum Island) on Lake Winnipesaukee a truly wild sequence of events occurred before my eyes.  After deploying a loon nesting sign, I moved in to begin putting out the ropes on the shoreline adjacent to the nest.  While tying the line off to a tree, the bird flushed off its eggs....my first flushing in 2 years working on Winni.  I rapidly moved away from the nest area and watched from a distance to make sure the loon returned to the nest.  Before I could get more than 100 feet from the nest, the loon was tremoloing wildly.  When I turned around to see what was going on, I saw a juvenile eagle approaching the undefended egg from its perch on the mainland shore. 

I had to watch this potential disaster unfold helplessly.  If the eagle were to get the egg, it would be a nest failure caused by human (biologist) disturbance with a secondary cause of failure being avian (eagle) predation.  Fortunately, the loon chased it back to the shoreline with much tremoloing and displaying, yet the persistent eagle returned for a second attempt.  This time the nest was guarded by both parents as the loon's mate rushed in upon hearing the distress calls. 

Being successful in chasing the eagle away to the shoreline on the opposite side of the island, the pair aggressively patrolled after it. I let them pursue out of sight around the island; after the debacle that just unfolded I did not want to add any further stress to the pair.  My thought was that the parents would most likely patrol their way clockwise around the island and back to the nest.  So the anxious wait began, as the eggs, still undefended, were without incubation on this cool day. 

Three minutes passed. Then four. Then five.  I couldn't wait any longer so I motored my whaler counter clockwise around Plum Island in hopes of encountering the errant pair.  Upon reaching the tip of the island nearest the entrance to the cove, I discovered the pair...in a fight with a third loon, another bird to be attracted by the commotion.  The parents battled un-inspiringly for nearly 10-15 minutes with diving, peering, and circling, all while their eggs lay exposed.  Eventually, to my joy, the intruder was driven off and the parents moved in the direction of the nest at a pace far slower than required to put me at ease.  A loon OTN or "On The Nest" was all I wanted to put down in my field notebook as I shadowed the pair on their journey back to the nest at a fair distance, monitoring their progress and the nest through binoculars.  Then when I was within 40 feet of the nest, the unthinkable happened....

Stay tuned for "Tales from the Field: Part 2 in the next e-newsletter.

Birdathon/Bloomathon Wrap-up

The 2011 birdathon/bloomathon was a big success with a new record of 119 bird species counted!  Thanks to participants Tony Vazzano, John Cooley, Lynne & Vince Route, Bob Crowley, Joe Scott, Tiffany Grade, Jane Rice and Chris Clyne for battling the black flies, mosquitoes and rain (torrential downpour at times).  They covered their favorite spots in Sandwich, Tamworth, W. Ossipee, Madison and Moultonbourough.  Highlights included Sora, Bicknell's Thrush, Boreal Chickadee, White-winged Scoters, Bonaparte's Gulls and a Cape May Warbler. {Red Eft salamanders were also spotted along the trail to Sandwich Dome; see photo below} 

Red Eft photo by Lynne Route

Special thanks to all those who pledged and donated.  Participants are hoping to raise between $2500-$3000; 90% of which will go to LPC.  The rest of the proceeds go to the Lakes Region Chapter of NH Audubon so they can continue their free nature programs which are held spring, fall and winter at The Loon Center (see Bhutan Birds & People annoucement under "Upcoming Events.")