My apologies for this late report about the adult Common Loon that was found feeding and swimming near the Goetchius Preserve on Flat Iron Road. (by Karen Allaben-Confer) For three days, the loon seemed healthy and was feeding vigorously on perhaps small fish, tadpoles, other water critters - we could see it diving, swallowing, bill dipping in the turbid water. The creek is runoff from the wetland on the west side of Flat Iron Rd, and was high and rapid from the latest rain storm. John (Confer) visited the loon several times and notice that when it was flapping its wings, one of the wings was bent as if sprained and there was no hope that the loon would be able to fly out of the creek. Our original plan was to capture the loon and relocate it in the Goetchius wetland where there was a longer runway for the loon's extended run along the water and take-off before it reached the back beaver dam and the forest. John called for help from a wonderful animal rescuer, Victoria Campbell, who agreed to bring a large net. We originally planned to ask a few people to help herd the loon, so-to-speak to a shallow bank near the deep culvert pool. Some years ago, after a major ice storm in the region when grebes, loons, and other birds were found stranded on icy roads or in high water spring streams. The DEC assisted in the rescue of three loons. A group of about 5 people braved the cold water to direct the loons toward a net that was extended across the stream. There were moments when we despaired over the loons diving and avoiding the net. But, in the end, when all of us, the DEC people, and the loons were tired, the loons were caught and placed in animal crates and boxes. A DEC official, John and I, and Sandy Podulka drove the loons to Dryden Lake and released them. It was very exciting and a great relief to watch the loons dive into the water and disappear, then, rise out of the water some distance away.
I am sorry to report that the fate of the Flat Iron Rd. Loon does not
have such a happy ending. While the loon seemed robust and healthy, we
could not direct it into the net, even with several people waist deep in
the stream trying to guide it to the net. It dove around the out wash of
the culvert and would swim underwater to pop up behind us. We tried to
drive the bird toward the shallows to one shore, but it was clever in
evading us. In the end, we decided to not stress and tire the loon. We
climbed back to the bank along the stream and watched for the loon to
reappear. It did not and we assume that it continued to ride the strong
current downstream to a culvert which would direct it further downstream.
The stream is part of the Upper Susquehanna River system, but it
shallows out in numerous sites as it flows west southwest. If the loon
can make its way through the shallow sections and rest and feed in
deeper pools downstream, then it might be able to reach the Susquehanna
and find deeper waters. However, this sends the bird further from its
northward flight. The loon was an adult and except for its injured wing
was in spectacular plumage. It was alert and strong with its legs, but
we believe there was no hope for it to soon take off to fly north. John
and I mourned that there are is a large coyote pack in the Flat Iron
valley, but we don't know if they would know of the loon's presence or
if they would enter the stream to try to reach it. If the loon can find
plentiful food sources....well, you are now understanding the situation
which seems hopeless at this point.
This is a sad tale and I am sorry to report it. Perhaps if we had
recruited more people, we would eventually have "herded" the loon to a
shallow shoreline where catching it would have been much easier, or we
might just have stressed it more without any success. Perhaps a seine
across a narrow portion of the creek would have worked.
Now, we are puzzling how the loon was injured in the first place. Was it
shot? Was it blown down by gusty winds during the rain storms? Did it
aim to land on the stream as it tired from a long migration from the
south and simply crash landed on the shoreline before entering the
water - injuring its wing in the process? We will never know.
We are grateful to those who came out on a Sunday morning to help rescue
the loon. You will all empathize with the very depressed group who had
high hopes of saving this beautiful diver, rehabilitating it, and
releasing it to continue its flight north. Later, as we sipped hot
chocolate in our sunroom, each person declared how dreadfully sad they
felt. This handsome bird had finally reached maturity and was heading
north toward its first breeding year. After young loons make their first
migration, they return by increments to their northern natal lakes. That
is, the young loons take up to three years or so to make their final
flight to breed on northern lakes and large ponds. They winter along the
coast of North America and Gulf of Mexico and south. They gradually
transform from gray/black bodies, white throats, that have a jagged
extension of white partway around the neck where the adult plumage of
the black and white "necklace" will appear. As they go through their
annual molts, they begin to acquire the dark sides to the resplendent
black heads, red eyes, checkerboard black and white backs. They return
north by increments, going through several feather molts as they wander
northward along the Atlantic coast. We have seen loons migrating over
Hawk Mountain in Frackville, PA and, of course on Cayuga Lake where the
major migration of loons has become the greatest of the northern
migratory flyways. We have canoed on northern lakes in Ontario and been
surrounded by great rafts of hundreds of loons - all staging for their
southward migration. We have watched adult loons engage in evening relay
races across lakes before returning to their territories and nestlings
and mates by sunset. They are the symbol of the wild northern canoe
routes. They are primitive, haunting,beautiful. We are so sorry we could
not rescue this lone adult.
Never hesitate to do what you believe is right. And, know that there
will be heartbreaking disappointments when you try to save a wild being.
"In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments - only
consequences" Robert G. Ingersoll
"Nature is what she is - amoral and persistent" Stephen Jay Gould
"Nature always has the last word." John Stewart Collis
"I come to Nature to be inspired, enlightened, and healed."
Karen Allaben-Confer
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