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Loon chicks on North Otter Lake

May-August 2025

We've always loved watching and listening to the loons on North Otter Lake, but it's been a long time since loon chicks hatched there. In 2024 we noticed an egg on a nest, but we believe it was eaten by a predator. Finally in 2025 we were thrilled to see two chicks emerge. See after the photos (below) for a chronological description.

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May 11: We noticed a nesting loon. We kept well away in our kayaks, but after a beaver swam close by the parent left the nest, patrolled in the water and eventually did the classic penguin dance display to ward off any threats.

June 8: I noticed a loon in the far distance, close to the shore opposite the nest - not a usual place. It did not appear to have any chicks, but on reviewing the much-enlarged photo the chicks were just visible on the parent's back, I'd guess just a couple of days old.

June 13: We confirmed that there were two chicks. The whole family was clearly visible, mid-lake about 100m from our dock, with the two chicks on the back of a parent. As I kayaked past as far away as possible one parent moved the chicks well away from me while the other swam towards me to fend me off. A little later the two chicks were off the parents' backs and swimming on their own while the parents dived for food.

July 8: While kayaking I came close the loon family without realising it. I quickly backed away, but one parent became very protective, swam under the kayak and then surfaced right behind me diagonally opposite the chicks, and started displaying very vigorously, followed by the loudest and longest calling I've ever heard from a loon.

July 9: They were again visible from our dock and the chicks had grown to the point where they were diving and able to rise up and display their white breast.

August 1: The two chicks had grown to be almost the size of the adults and were losing the last of their down. They were still maintaining close contact with one parent while the other was in another part of the lake.

August 19: The two young and two parents were still together, but now spread around the lake, the parents monitoring the young but allowing them to swim off and dive on their own. A grey day with gentle rain, which was perfect for fishing.

August 27: I saw all 4 again, I thought for the last time this season; in two separate arms of the lake a young was loosely tagging along near one of its parents.

September 29 and October 5: I was still coming across the two juveniles and two parents in various parts of the lake. Sometimes a juvenile was completely on its own, diving and fishing, but when it was within range of a parent it kept close, apparently not wanting to give up the parental support. By now they were indistinguishable in size, but the colouring was not yet adult, still shades of brown not yet changed to the crisp adult colours. By mid-October the juveniles were still on the lake, but I think the adults had by then migrated.

Unlike the normal adult loon behaviour, the parents with young chicks were very sensitive to other activity on the lake, up to 100m distant, although as the chicks grew bigger the parents became more tolerant. I did my best to avoid getting anywhere close enough to affect them; all photos were taken with a 500mm lens and cropped heavily.

All photos by . For my other loon photos visit my Flora • Fauna • Fungi site