WE HAVE TWO LOON CHICKS

Congratulations are in order! Evelyn Richer at Loon Cove on Sandy Beach Road has announced the loons now have two healthy chicks. We all need to remember that when you spot a loon in the water, you should stay away - the chicks are probably close by and while they can swim as soon as they are hatched, they are no match for speed boats. By going too close you could separate them from the parents and they could become easy prey for a predator.

Plan to take your binoculars with you so you can view the loon family from a safe distance. Ray Richer reported at our spring meeting that we have been officially "loon watching" at Joe's Pond for nine years, and in that time seven chicks have survived. The total is now nine, if these new ones are able to make it to adulthood. There are plenty of natural predators that make the earliest weeks of a baby loon's life very hazardous, so let's not add to the risks and instead do whatever we can to help the chicks make it through the summer.