[at-l] Loons, was Back from Boston

[jbryankramer at msn.com (J Bryan Kramer)]

"Q. How far does the common loon migrate and where does it go in the spring
and fall? Also, what habitats are they usually found in? 

A. Common loons migrate from their summer nesting habitats (on inland
freshwater lakes) to wintering grounds on the oceans. Although individual
birds may take different routes, in general loons in the northeastern U.S.
(Maine, New Hampshire, etc.) migrate to the northern coasts of the Atlantic
Ocean. Loons from the Upper Midwest (Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota) migrate
through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic ocean or down the Mississippi Flyway
to the Gulf of Mexico. Loons on the west coast migrate west to the Pacific
Ocean. Loons from Canada also follow a variety of routes to the oceans. In
the spring, loons return to nesting lakes which are typically clear clean
lakes in northern states or Canada. They require adequate fish populations,
undisturbed shorelines for nesting locations and quiet bays for chick
rearing. "

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/1997/critters/loon/863653000.html

Bryan


-----Original Message-----
From: at-l-bounces@backcountry.net [mailto:at-l-bounces@backcountry.net] On
Behalf Of Jan Leitschuh
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 21:46
To: AT-List; ellen@clinic.net
Subject: [at-l] Loons, was Back from Boston

> I occasionally see loons in sheltered salt-water coves in the winter,
where I understand they spend their winters, though mostly to the south of
Maine. 
> But I've never heard or seen them here during the summer. 

Do loons fly south in the winter?

There is an awful nifty inland lake in NC, huge and shallow, no 
hunting allowed, in a state park, right near the coast and near Lake 
Matamuskeet

...(the name is escaping me, starts with a P, near the Scuppernong 
River... Clark, help me out here),

... where I like to go in winter and paddle among the migrating 
northern fowl like Alaskan snow geese from the tundra, mergansers and 
trumpeter swans. The joint is packed by Christmas. The racket is so 
loud it goes on all night.

Once in awhile I think I hear a loon. Do I? It makes sense to me that 
they would visit coastal Carolina in the winter, but the goose noise 
is so loud it's hard to discern. Does anyone know if loons migrate 
this far south?

Loon Shoe, who also remembers bird and plants names more readily than 
people, but obviously, not lake names...

PS If anyone nearby likes to paddle and wants to take a winter trip to 
this amazing Carolina treasure, e-mail me off list. Camping at the 
state park.


-- 
========================================
     	AT Journal:
	http://www.trailjournals.com/Liteshoe/
	Jan Leitschuh Sporthorses Ltd.
	http://www.mindspring.com/~janl2/index.html

========================================


_______________________________________________
at-l mailing list
at-l@backcountry.net
http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/at-l