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2022 Little Sebago Loon

Hayden Bay since 2018. The current female was un-banded at the time. The female parent and one chick were banded on July 11. The second chick had evaded capture for banding. Territorial intrusions had been observed as early as 6/29 and the two chicks were observed left on their own frequently while the parents’ kept invaders at bay. We feared that the chicks would not survive either by falling victim to attack or simply from lack of parental care. The female was last seen in late July. It is presumed she was either driven from the territory or killed. On 7/24 the banded chick was alone in an adjacent cove when an intruder attacked. The intruder clutched the chick in its beak and was attempting to drown it – again while we watched. This chick was nearing 5 weeks old and had the strength and the will to fight back. When it surfaced, we were able to recover it after observing a bloodied spot on one wing. The injured chick was transported to Avian Haven for evaluation and rehabilitation. A third chick from yet another territory had also sustained injury and been transported to Avian Haven. This time the how and why of the injury was unknown, and the injury, facial, far more serious. Surgery was performed but the chick was not able to recover adequate vision to survive in the wild and was euthanized. The two chicks that did recover from attacks remained at Avian Haven until October 1 st . They were cared for by expert caregivers. The chicks were released together into the quiet cove behind Grape Island. Several Loon Rangers were on hand in kayaks to keep eyes on the chicks once they left the cove to see how they acclimated to their environment and the other loons and wildlife on the lake. The release was an incredible event to watch. The two, now fully

fledged, chicks quickly showed their excitement at the great big expanse of water. They had been resident in an outdoor yet enclosed pond not nearly the size of the cove – and there before them stood a vast open lake. They immediately dipped their bills and enjoyed an array of minnows and aquatic life. One did a bit of wing rowing, and both some penguin dancing, and much diving. You could almost see the smiles on their faces. Such fun for the observers to watch. The Loon Rangers have worked hard over the summer and sustained some heartbreaking losses, so this unbelievably happy event was the most rewarding experience ever! Quite soon a raft of eight loons was seen not too far away. There had been some concern about how the resident population would react to the returning chicks, presumably by fall all aggressive behavior has dissipated, but we were uncertain and therefore watchful. As the raft got closer, we were able to see that it was a raft of 7 adults and one chick. One adult and the chick broke away from the raft and approached the two released chicks, the other 5 paid them no heed. The two approaching were likely the male parent and sibling of the Hayden Bay released chicks. The four observed one another from a short distance, did a little bit of watchful circling, but nothing resembling the type of behavior that demonstrates anxiety or indicates aggression, then the two returned to their raft, leaving the two released chicks to frolic some more. Unfortunately, the two released chicks didn’t stay together for long. One, the Sand Island chick, ventured out around the island along its eastern shore and then further south into Policeman’s Cove. The other, the Hayden Bay chick, ventured north along the eastern shore

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