Show Off Loon on the Ossipee's

Tired of Waiting · 10-13-2013, 10:39 AM

Saw this loon showing off on Berry Bay last week.

ToW

Tank151 · 10-13-2013, 01:17 PM

Great picture - they're beautiful birds!

Plumberswife · 10-17-2013, 07:02 PM

We live in Ossipee and have beautiful loons at our pond down the road. As of last week, they were still there. This was the first year I have seen them there. The last three years. Nothing. Beautiful birds....

ApS · 11-27-2013, 03:11 PM

Your photos are of the "Threat Pose" in its Autumn (molt) colors.

Later on I stumbled on a greeting card with a "Summer Loon" taking that pose
--as seen from the back.

(Photo 1)

A few years ago, I tried to capture that image from the front, with molten glass on a metal switch plate cover (using cloisonné / enameling).

(Photo 2)

SteveA · 11-27-2013, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApS

Your photos are of the "Threat Pose" in its Autumn (molt) colors.

Exactly correct.. I took this picture last year. I sent it along with about 20 other images of an interaction between 3 Loons off LSP. I asked them if this picture (below) was a mating dance of some sort and she expalined that what I had photographed in the entire series of pictures I sent was a confrontation with a male trying to "steal" another males female.
She walked me through all of the images I sent.. fascinating subject . This picture I'm posting is the grand finale of the confrontation.
She explained that the tail standing was actually thr Loons showing how big they are. and the smaller loon will generally leave.

She also said that sometimes they get into a terrible fight that may end in one of the loons dead or very badly hurt.

Name: Threat Pose.jpg
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Size: 53.5 KB

Name: Threat Pose.jpg
Views: 1029
Size: 53.5 KB

ApS · 09-21-2014, 07:37 PM

After Labor Day last season, I sailed up to six Loons off Rattlesnake Island and started a 15-minute video. (Hopefully to record their sometimes-comical behavior

).

The following is a short, 26-second section of that video. Pardon the video's "seasick" motions—it's in telephoto mode, and hard to hold steady—especially while afloat.

One Loon gave the "threat" pose (extreme left in the video) but it didn't dawn on me to consider what that "threat" could be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZkHRnPmaRI

Interesting Yellow-Billed Loon video, vocalizing with the same calls as Winnipesaukee Loons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyRTu-VJM1Q

donnamatrix · 09-26-2014, 10:55 AM

We have seen male Loon doing the "dance" when we were in Green's Basin earlier this year. He was vocalizing alot.. although we were not close to the female and chick - he did not like where we were... he swam under the water, came up and did the dance, and we knew he was trying to lure us away from his family-so we left. The dance is a sign of confrontation but also distress.

10-13-2013, 10:39 AM	#1
Tired of Waiting Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 519 Thanks: 111 Thanked 259 Times in 107 Posts	Show Off Loon on the Ossipee's Saw this loon showing off on Berry Bay last week. ToW

10-17-2013, 07:02 PM	#3
Plumberswife Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cape Cod/Ossipee NH Posts: 38 Thanks: 14 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	We live in Ossipee and have beautiful loons at our pond down the road. As of last week, they were still there. This was the first year I have seen them there. The last three years. Nothing. Beautiful birds.... __________________ Be kinder than you need to be.......

11-27-2013, 03:11 PM	#4
ApS Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Florida (Sebring & Keys), Wolfeboro Posts: 5,918 Thanks: 2,184 Thanked 775 Times in 553 Posts	...but there's nothing like seeing the loon in person... Your photos are of the "Threat Pose" in its Autumn (molt) colors. Later on I stumbled on a greeting card with a "Summer Loon" taking that pose --as seen from the back. (Photo 1) A few years ago, I tried to capture that image from the front, with molten glass on a metal switch plate cover (using cloisonné / enameling). (Photo 2) Attached Images

09-21-2014, 07:37 PM	#6
ApS Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Florida (Sebring & Keys), Wolfeboro Posts: 5,918 Thanks: 2,184 Thanked 775 Times in 553 Posts	Threats Aren't Always in the Air... After Labor Day last season, I sailed up to six Loons off Rattlesnake Island and started a 15-minute video. (Hopefully to record their sometimes-comical behavior ). The following is a short, 26-second section of that video. Pardon the video's "seasick" motions—it's in telephoto mode, and hard to hold steady—especially while afloat. One Loon gave the "threat" pose (extreme left in the video) but it didn't dawn on me to consider what that "threat" could be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZkHRnPmaRI Interesting Yellow-Billed Loon video, vocalizing with the same calls as Winnipesaukee Loons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyRTu-VJM1Q Last edited by ApS; 09-21-2014 at 07:45 PM. Reason: Add calls video

09-26-2014, 10:55 AM	#7
donnamatrix Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonboro Posts: 833 Thanks: 24 Thanked 258 Times in 120 Posts	Male Loons doing the Dance We have seen male Loon doing the "dance" when we were in Green's Basin earlier this year. He was vocalizing alot.. although we were not close to the female and chick - he did not like where we were... he swam under the water, came up and did the dance, and we knew he was trying to lure us away from his family-so we left. The dance is a sign of confrontation but also distress.

The Following 10 Users Say Thank You to Tired of Waiting For This Useful Post:
Airedale1 (09-22-2014), ApS (11-27-2013), BaileyBecca (10-18-2013), bclaker (10-18-2013), CateP (10-14-2013), DRH (10-13-2013), Just Sold (09-26-2014), Lakemamma (10-14-2013), Rattlesnake Gal (10-24-2013), SteveA (10-14-2013)

10-13-2013, 01:17 PM	#2
Tank151 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Boston, MA & Laconia, NH Posts: 150 Thanks: 16 Thanked 11 Times in 10 Posts	Great picture - they're beautiful birds!

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