Loons are migrating through Southeastern Idaho

A lonely mating call floated across Ririe Reservoir as my friend Craig and I launched his boat a week ago.

It was followed by another call when Craig said, “That almost sounds like a spike bull elk in the fall – but it is the wrong time of the year.”

He knew it was a common loon, one of 18 that we would see during the day.

We watched them as they allowed us to get within 40 feet of them before they would dive, stay underwater for several minutes before surfacing 60 to 100 yards up the reservoir. I regretted not bringing my camera as we saw one surface with about an eight-inch fish and finally was able to swallow it whole. On a slow fishing day, watching the loons added a lot of enjoyment for us.

A day later at a private pond near Rexburg, I watched and photographed six of these striking, beautiful birds diving for food as I watched them catch several crawfish to eat. Research tells me that most of the food they capture is swallowed whole before they surface.

Loons are built to be successful fishers under the surface, as they are extremely fast swimmers with their legs positioned far back on their bodies. Unlike most birds that have hollow bones, loons’ bones are solid which allows them to sink quickly. As they dive, they blow the air out of their lungs, flatten their feathers to force any trapped air out and slow their hearts down to conserve oxygen. They can stay underwater for up to five minutes.

Each loon is blessed with a tongue, and the roof of their mouth, which has rearward pointed projections, is handy at holding slippery fish until they can be swallowed headfirst. These birds do not have a gizzard, but they still swallow pebbles which break apart the indigestible bones and shells from their dinner.

This last Tuesday, Craig and I once again visited Ririe Reservoir, only this time I took my camera. We found at least nine loons still on the Ririe, but they appeared to be exercising their wings and pairing up. We watched them do their “circle dance” similar to children playing “ring-around-the-rosy” and “water-walking” as pairs.

I photographed one taking off and flying up and down the reservoir before landing back on the water. Because of their weight and wings built for diving, they need at least 30 yards and up to an eighth of a mile to get airborne. They cannot take off from land or on small ponds; if they do, they are a dead duck, but once they are in the air, they can fly up to 70 miles per hour.

A few common loons will nest in Idaho and in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, but the most danger to nest failure is human disturbance. The lakes that hold a nesting pair will often be closed to human traffic during their critical nesting period.

Loons nest for life and do not start breeding until they are about six years old, and they only lay one or two eggs a year. After the chicks hatch, the parents will protect them for about 12 weeks, even killing other loons or waterfowl that come to the lake where they are nesting.

After the chicks are three months old, the parents will migrate to coastal waters while the young form groups that will migrate together later. The young loons stay along the coast for at least two years before migrating to Canada, Alaska or the Northern United States to spend the summer.

For the last two weeks, we have enjoyed watching these magnificent birds working area waters as they continue their migration to their nesting areas. We found that they will come close to a slow-moving boat, but when walking along the shore, they will walk away from you. If you find a lake that is hosting a nesting pair, please do not approach them, but give them space to raise their young.

Have a great week, the shorebirds and songbirds are starting to show up, so I have put out oranges cut in half and increased the numbers of feeders for them to enjoy.