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Common Loon, Territorial Display, Before the 'Attack'
Last year, with great joy, I watched this loon and its mate raise a young one on Hidden Lake. Almost every day, from when the little one was young enough to ride around on their backs until mid-October, when it flew off by itself, I saw these beautiful loons, and it became a precious personal experience. When the pair returned this recent spring, I was ecstatic at the prospect of listening to their haunting calls once again, and hopefully observe them raise another brood as I went on my daily walk around the lake. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I was heartbroken and angered as I witnessed a juvenile Bald Eagle attack them on the nest, close to hatching time. I photographed the attack, but later destroyed the images because I couldn't bear to look. Nature can be so cruel sometimes. The adults survived the attack but left a few days later. I hope they don't return, because there are far too many Bald Eagles in Whitehorse these days, and I'm sure it would happen again.
The same eagle went on to attack a pair of nesting Red-necked Grebes just as their young were hatching a few days later in a nearby lake, an attack I also partially witnessed and photographed. I was doubly disgusted and angered at nature's cruelty. I love Bald Eagles as much as anybody, but it's a problem when their numbers get so high, that they cannot find enough fish, so must predate species such as Loons and Grebes, species that are not often seen. Common Loons are anything but "common", a point Ellen made about that ironic usage for bird names in her comment on my "Common Redpoll" image posted last week.
More images below:
Common Loon, Territorial Display, Before the 'Attack'
Last year, with great joy, I watched this loon and its mate raise a young one on Hidden Lake. Almost every day, from when the little one was young enough to ride around on their backs until mid-October, when it flew off by itself, I saw these beautiful loons, and it became a precious personal experience. When the pair returned this recent spring, I was ecstatic at the prospect of listening to their haunting calls once again, and hopefully observe them raise another brood as I went on my daily walk around the lake. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I was heartbroken and angered as I witnessed a juvenile Bald Eagle attack them on the nest, close to hatching time. I photographed the attack, but later destroyed the images because I couldn't bear to look. Nature can be so cruel sometimes. The adults survived the attack but left a few days later. I hope they don't return, because there are far too many Bald Eagles in Whitehorse these days, and I'm sure it would happen again.
The same eagle went on to attack a pair of nesting Red-necked Grebes just as their young were hatching a few days later in a nearby lake, an attack I also partially witnessed and photographed. I was doubly disgusted and angered at nature's cruelty. I love Bald Eagles as much as anybody, but it's a problem when their numbers get so high, that they cannot find enough fish, so must predate species such as Loons and Grebes, species that are not often seen. Common Loons are anything but "common", a point Ellen made about that ironic usage for bird names in her comment on my "Common Redpoll" image posted last week.
More images below: