Loon Rescue

[pappy]

Jen and I were riding around one of the fields that borders the Fish river just below Soldier Pond a few nights ago looking to see if it was worth taking our bush hog that we use behind the ATV to cut the brush and grass around the perimeter of our neighbors fields that we cross country ski on in the winter months,,, makes it real handy skiing from the camp...  

Well anyway, just in the nick of time I noticed something black in the wheel rut in the tall grass and avoided running over what it was... I stopped the truck and sure enough it was a loon... First thing I thought was I'm just gonna leave it there and continue on.. Jen says it looks like a decoy??  So I back up to get a better look, when I walk over to it, it BLINKS !!  Now what do we do?? It's too far from the water to make it's way there, because they can't walk on land and can only push themselves with their feet a few feet at a time. I new it was a hopeless situation for the loon ...

Attempt  number one,,, I keep a wind shirt in the pickup and thought I'll throw it over the bird and sit on the tail gate of the truck and Jen can drive me down to the waters edge at Corm's camp where there's a good size pool in the river where it could take it's time recouping  a bit and to see if would be all right but the dang thing wouldn't have anything to do with me, and besides the wind shirt was just to small to do it right... It did a few loon calls then stood up and flapped it's wings and we knew it wasn't hurt, it was just grounded  :-\  We scrapped that idea and thought well it's natures way and with sadness in our hearts drove off trying to justify our guilt...

Attempt number 2,,, the next morning while having coffee Jen says I wonder how our loon is doing??  I said I'll go check with the 4 wheela,, and low a behold she's still there!!!  So I call Leslie, my brother Dave's daughter who's married to Adrian a Maine State Game Warden and she let's him know of the situation and he gets us in contact with another warden on duty. Warden Milligan and I discuss how we're gonna do this as he is 50 miles away in Ashland which is about an hour away... I told him of our attempts of the night before and if it was okay I'd try it again but this time with a big wool army blanket.. He says give it a try and if you can't get her/him to water let him know and they'll come take care of it...

So Jen & Sue ( the beading fools  :D   ) and I head on down to attempt our rescue.. It went just as planned, the big ole army blanket was tossed on top of it, I scooped it up,, it hardly struggled! I hopped into the truck and Jen drove us down to the rivers edge at Corm's camp and the release went flawlessly,, she/he wiggled just a bit and when the blanket came off it was abit disoriented at first but it figured it out and slid it's way into the water... To see it for those first few minutes was such a site! To see it dive and drink about 20 times and frolicking and standing up and stretching it's wings and splashing about... After about 5 minutes it swam it's merry way up the current towards Soldier Pond and back to live hopefully many more days...


I must say the three of us were elated in having a part in such an experience of seeing the freedom given back to such a beautiful creature...

Enjoy the photos!


That night grounded in the road.


The next morning it had moved only about 15 feet from where we found it last night...


Getting it out of the blanket down by the Fish river...


Huh ??  Where the heck am I ????


Well well well lookee here .... that's water I see!!!


aahh ..... A Nestea plunge,,, notice the mark in the mud where she/he slid in...


WOW I think I recognize this place


Happy days are here again,,, I think I'll go see if they missed me???



It was hard to get a picture of it frolicking,, but believe me the loon was some happy being afloat again !!!!

After I called Warden Milligan and told him everything went great he told me he has heard of this happening before,, a local logging contractor had found one in the middle of the road out in the North Maine Woods before so it does happen from time to time,,, Why would a loon land on anything other that water,,, must be just plain ole tired and has to put it down I guess???
 

salut to all,
Tim

[RynSmith]

Great story and pics, thanks for sharing 

I didn't know that about loons, so I've learned something already today  8)

[Ron Scott]

Well done!

[Mooseherder]

Nice Job Tim and Jen!
He may have been going after a Frog or Grass snake and got grounded. ???
That maybe where the saying Crazy as a Loon comes from.
He'll be eating your Trout next. ;D

[Roxie]

I had no idea that Loons could not walk on land.  Thanks so much for posting the pictures and the story.  Way to go on the rescue! 

[sprucebunny]

Good job.

Loons are cool.

I've read that even though loons visit the ocean to fish, that they don't nest along the shore because the tides make it hard to get between nest and water. ( 10 foot tide in most of Maine) So I was amazed to see a loon with a baby on the ocean one time years ago. They carry thier young on thier backs... usually only have one chick. There must have been a floating island or some other feature in the little lagoon that was nearby.

[Magicman]

Good for you and better for the loon.  Thanks for sharing such a heartwarming story.  It is so neat finding out about stuff in different parts of the US, Canada, and around the World.

[Chuck White]

Often times, a loon will land at night on a roadway or other flat surface in the rain.

To them, from their perspective it looks like a river or pond, so they land and are then stranded.

Happens around here once in a while!

The loons luck out when a human finds them before a predator happens along!

[SwampDonkey]

I knew their undercarriage was a bit different than a duck, but didn't think they could get stranded and not be able to fly off ground.

That was quite an episode. Good thing for the loon you guys gave him a chance to swim again. 

[WDH]

Great story with a happy ending.  I needed that.

[Stephen1]

great story, and pics, I have 6-8 loons on the lake in front of my cabin, nothing nicer than listening to them at night, calling each other. I didn't realize that they can't walk, I guess that is why we always see their nests close to shore wen I'm out in the canoe.

[Ron Scott]

We have lost a lot of loons here along the Great Lakes due to botulism poisoning. There is an organization known as the Loon Rangers that was established several years ago who look after the loons on our lakes and lake shores. The Loon Rangers watch over the loons and insure that they are protected and that they and their nests are not disturbed by others.

You are certainly a Loon Ranger. ;)

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10366_10871-31646--,00.html

[doctorb]

Well done.  A wonderfowl story!  Anyone who has watched the long running take offs of loons on the water can see why this guy wasn't going anywhere.  They are strong flyers when up to speed, but they don't get up to speed well.  they can not burst up into the air like ducks, and they need a much longer runway than geese.  Great creatures to have around.  congrats.

doctorb