I noticed last evening the loons were making different sounds - sort of chirping in between their regular mournful calls. I had wondered what that was about, and hoped they were not being threatened in any way. This morning I found these happy photos in my email. Gretchen Farnsworth (Sandy Beach Road) took these pictures of the loon family that nested at the north end of the big pond - both parents with two chicks. Please be extra careful to keep your distance from the little family. There are natural predators they need to be watchful for and they certainly don't need to be harassed by humans. Take pictures, but use your zoom - or just enjoy these that Gretchen took.

Sometimes we've had large fish take one of the baby loons - or we have suspected a young eagle that took up residence near Pearl Island may have gotten one of the chicks. Sometimes one chick is just weaker than the other and doesn't make it. There isn't much we can do about these natural events, but we can be watchful to make sure boaters do not go too close to the loons or otherwise disturb them. Sometimes non-local people do not realize loons are protected by wildlife laws, so if you see someone going too close, try to politely let them know they need to be more careful.

This is a beautiful, hot and fairly humid day - perfect for celebrating Father's Day doing Dad's favorite thing. Enjoy the day, the water, or whatever you are doing. Please play and travel safely.