Let's welcome the two newest additions to Lake Wicwas, Spangle and Star, hatched on or about July 1st and 2nd, probably one day apart.
Spangle and Star, about three days old. |
We don't know the sex of either, but I'm going to say Spangle is the big sister and Star is the little brother. The first time I saw them, Spangle was riding up atop one of the parents while Star, very shy, was hiding out under a wing - or least trying to.
Star is half hidden under mom's (?) left wing. |
Star was kicking hard with surprisingly large feet, trying to get far enough up to climb aboard.
Can you see his not-so-little foot kicking up the water? |
The parents are very attentive. Whenever something gets anywhere near the parent with the chicks, the other parent starts hollering loudly. Thus I stayed far away and got only blurry pictures. When I received a report that the family was out of Harris Cove and around Loon Point into the main part of the lake, I went to the nest to collect any shell fragments for the Loon Preservation Committee to analyze.
You may have seen the nest from Chemung Road. |
Analyzing the egg shells will help us understand the health of the loons as well as the lake itself. The nest is surprisingly small, perhaps 18" in diameter. They did a good job of getting on and off the nest and turning the eggs over without them rolling into the lake.
There were quite a few shell fragments and one piece of egg membrane still in the nest.
We were fortunate to be able to collect them before some other animal consumed them for their calcium content.
As of yesterday the family was travelling all the way down to the southern tip of the lake and back up the western shoreline. Dean Cascadden was able to take some video of the parents feeding the chicks near his dock. You can find the video on the Lake Wicwas Community Forum page on Facebook. If you're a Facebook user you should follow this page!
When you're on the lake observing the loons (carefully from a safe distance of course!) don't forget to take note of all the other beauty that's on the lake in summer - the aquatic plants are spectacular. Larger plants like Yellow and White water lilies and Pickerel Weed are easily seen, but you'll have to tuck in close and slow to see some of the more delicate water-based flowers including Floating Bladderwort and American Cranberry.
Large (American) Cranberry |
Floating Bladderwort |
The natural adaptations of plants is incredible. Take the floating bladderwort for example. It has six appendages filled with air to give the plant the ability to float stably on the surface of the lake to support its bright yellow flower which attracts pollinators. Trailing below in the water is a long stem that acts as a weighted keel to keep it from capsizing.
If we're lucky, come August we'll get to see Purple Bladderwort blooming too. By then Spangle and Star should be past their most vulnerable days, but for the next month, let's hope they and their parents can defy all the challenges they will surely face!