New loon chicks are hatched and the eagle chick is getting more independent. Oh, and there have been some thunderstorms going through. It now seems to be summer after the cold snap where fires were built in fireplaces a week ago, but that is history.
There are now two loon chicks seen regularly on the lake and people are taking pictures. The picture shown below was taken with a 1200 mm lens at a distance of more than 50 yards. It is also cropped. The loons were doing “loon things”, peering into the water and seemed completely undisturbed. Getting closer may give you better pictures but when the loons start to look worried (meaning they aren’t just swimming or looking downward for fish), or worse yet “dancing on the water toward you”, you are causing them stress. They do that dance when they are really stressed and worried. If you see any of these behaviors, move away. If you see someone else causing these behaviors, SAY something to protect the loons. Also, when boating, keep looking for them. The chicks can’t really dive so they can’t escape a boat propeller. On Wednesday the 19th, another chick hatched on Brummett Island. We hope all three chicks survive to become adults.
The young eagle seems to be doing well. It is alert and flying from place to place. It is still dependent on its parents for food but should be mostly independent by the end of August. The chick won’t have adult plumage until age five but this dark coloration means that they are much harder to see. They blend into the shadows.
The lake is also basically at “full summer level” and this means that the beaches are smaller than the last two years. Those years, there wasn’t enough rain or snow melt after April 15th when the people running the dam start raising it from the winter level. Many people like this high lake level because it is harder to hit rocks but with smaller beaches, there is less room to play. In that regard, please respect others when you are on the North Beach of Stamp Act or on the sandbar.
Some of the storms that have come through have been dramatic with lightning and heavy rain. On the recent storm that came after most people’s bedtime, many people reported having a hard time going to sleep with all the flashes and banging. Another storm during the day gave people a view of the rain coming across the lake. This band of rain missed the south side of the lake but hit the north side.