A loony night on the Lake...

Misty Blue · 07-18-2010, 09:01 AM

It all started at the forum fest at the loon center in Moultonborough. Chat'en with the naturalists they discovered that I live on the Lake, dive and have a work boat. I have'nt been so drafted since Viet Nam.

Truly blessed, my regular gig is to maintain the loon santuary at Gliens Island. Sorry folks. No baby this year. But here is where it gets cool.

For the second year in a row I was asked to help with night banding of the loon population. Yikes! Cool!

The night was pitch black, raining like a cow on a flat rock, thankfully calm and no thunder.

I am not a naturalist. I am a sailor. So my job was to assist by using my work boat as a platform for the scientists tests. These folks are pros. Sampling feathers, mandibles, and I don't know what else.

Once anchored out in the proper location the birds werre brought on board with great care. Since by then, I had nothing else to do I got to hold the critters. ....BIG BIRDS! So as the experts did their thing I was holding the bird on my lap rolling it this way and that as it kept trying to eat me, kept crapen' on me and my boat and slapping me in the face with it's feet! As I am trying to get out of this alive I was reminding the loon that I was trying to save thier species as the scientists calmy took their samples, filled out their log sheets and safely brought the birds back. A mother's care. Four s and three babies!

I have spent my whole life on the water and that was the worst night that I have ever had getting home. Black as the ace of spades and the GPS was caughing up a hair ball.

'Got home around 0530 just in time to jump into the truck and go to work. Long day, but what a gift I was given. Loon poop, feathers, and God knows what else on me and my boat. Every bit of it a treaure and a memory.

Yea, "Life is good today!".

Misty Blue

Misty Blue.

Lucky2Bhere · 07-18-2010, 09:35 AM

As your neighbor across the bay and a passenger in the boat that night I agree with all of your observations. What a night! Thanks for the great company and safe passage.

LadyJane · 07-18-2010, 09:37 AM

Very cool ! thanks for sharing that and I know it will be an experience you never forget.

tis · 07-18-2010, 07:19 PM

Wow, that WAS an experience you will never forget!! Did you band the babies too? I could see the band on the mother (I guess mother) but not on the baby. Where do they put them on the babies? The same place as the mother and father? They do the males too, right? Did the loons get excited and noisy?? Fascinating!!!! The biologist told us they were going to do it, but I didn't ask enough questions.

Slickcraft · 07-18-2010, 07:57 PM

Thanks for sharing that experience Misty, your writing skills match your boating skills. It is great that people like you volunteer for projects like this.

Our only close experience with loons was on a small lake in Alaska. We were exploring a shallow bay in kayaks on calm clear water when two playful loons appeared right next to us. Within 10' they swam around and then right under us and back up and so on for about 5 minutes. We will always remember that as will you of your "hands on" experience.

Hermit Cover · 07-18-2010, 09:12 PM

Misty Blue...Thanks for the story and thanks for your volunteer work. The Glines Island nest is in eyesight of our home on the cove and we missed the progeny from our pair this year. Maybe next.....we love the sights and sounds those beautiful birds afford us. (See you and Deb at the Forum Fest...HC and Mrs. HC.)

07-18-2010, 09:01 AM	#1
Misty Blue Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 658 Thanks: 121 Thanked 283 Times in 98 Posts	A loony night on the Lake... It all started at the forum fest at the loon center in Moultonborough. Chat'en with the naturalists they discovered that I live on the Lake, dive and have a work boat. I have'nt been so drafted since Viet Nam. Truly blessed, my regular gig is to maintain the loon santuary at Gliens Island. Sorry folks. No baby this year. But here is where it gets cool. For the second year in a row I was asked to help with night banding of the loon population. Yikes! Cool! The night was pitch black, raining like a cow on a flat rock, thankfully calm and no thunder. I am not a naturalist. I am a sailor. So my job was to assist by using my work boat as a platform for the scientists tests. These folks are pros. Sampling feathers, mandibles, and I don't know what else. Once anchored out in the proper location the birds werre brought on board with great care. Since by then, I had nothing else to do I got to hold the critters. ....BIG BIRDS! So as the experts did their thing I was holding the bird on my lap rolling it this way and that as it kept trying to eat me, kept crapen' on me and my boat and slapping me in the face with it's feet! As I am trying to get out of this alive I was reminding the loon that I was trying to save thier species as the scientists calmy took their samples, filled out their log sheets and safely brought the birds back. A mother's care. Four s and three babies! I have spent my whole life on the water and that was the worst night that I have ever had getting home. Black as the ace of spades and the GPS was caughing up a hair ball. 'Got home around 0530 just in time to jump into the truck and go to work. Long day, but what a gift I was given. Loon poop, feathers, and God knows what else on me and my boat. Every bit of it a treaure and a memory. Yea, "Life is good today!". Misty Blue Misty Blue.

07-18-2010, 09:37 AM	#3
LadyJane Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: northern Ct. Posts: 335 Thanks: 129 Thanked 50 Times in 33 Posts	Loon care Very cool ! thanks for sharing that and I know it will be an experience you never forget.

07-18-2010, 09:12 PM	#6
Hermit Cover Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Hermit Cove Posts: 354 Thanks: 20 Thanked 68 Times in 40 Posts	Thanks Misty Blue...Thanks for the story and thanks for your volunteer work. The Glines Island nest is in eyesight of our home on the cove and we missed the progeny from our pair this year. Maybe next.....we love the sights and sounds those beautiful birds afford us. (See you and Deb at the Forum Fest...HC and Mrs. HC.)

The Following 15 Users Say Thank You to Misty Blue For This Useful Post:
Argie's Wife (07-18-2010), ClosetExtrovert (07-26-2010), Diana (07-18-2010), Gatto Nero (07-18-2010), Lucky1 (07-18-2010), Meredith lady (07-18-2010), Mirror Lake's BB (07-18-2010), Newbiesaukee (07-18-2010), Pepper (07-18-2010), Redwing (07-19-2010), rrr (07-19-2010), SteveA (07-18-2010), trfour (07-18-2010), VitaBene (07-18-2010), Waterbaby (07-19-2010)

07-18-2010, 09:35 AM	#2
Lucky2Bhere Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Moultonboro & SE Florida Posts: 94 Thanks: 3 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	As your neighbor across the bay and a passenger in the boat that night I agree with all of your observations. What a night! Thanks for the great company and safe passage.

07-18-2010, 07:19 PM	#4
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,780 Thanks: 755 Thanked 1,466 Times in 1,022 Posts	Wow, that WAS an experience you will never forget!! Did you band the babies too? I could see the band on the mother (I guess mother) but not on the baby. Where do they put them on the babies? The same place as the mother and father? They do the males too, right? Did the loons get excited and noisy?? Fascinating!!!! The biologist told us they were going to do it, but I didn't ask enough questions.

07-18-2010, 07:57 PM	#5
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and The Taylor Community Posts: 3,320 Thanks: 1,233 Thanked 2,104 Times in 961 Posts	Thanks for sharing that experience Misty, your writing skills match your boating skills. It is great that people like you volunteer for projects like this. Our only close experience with loons was on a small lake in Alaska. We were exploring a shallow bay in kayaks on calm clear water when two playful loons appeared right next to us. Within 10' they swam around and then right under us and back up and so on for about 5 minutes. We will always remember that as will you of your "hands on" experience.