Wounded Loon Update

 This message from Eric Hansen came to Gretchen Farnsworth:

Loon that was beaching a few weeks ago is being released this week in Maine.

The loon has been eating well and waterproofing seems good. There's some concern as the bird does pull itself out of the water more than normal on these mats right at waterline.  Other than that, the bird is much stronger and seems normal in every other aspect.   We decided to release over there in non-territorial waters.  Safer for the loon.  And time and fuel to bring it back here w/ no great spot to release to it.   We'll be wishing it good luck.  

There was apparently another loon reported with something red attached behind it. At first Eric thought it might be a bobber from a fishing line, but then decided it was likely a red tag attached to its leg. Loons sometimes hold their legs in

an upward position when resting on the water, and that tag would be visible then and seem like it was part of the loon's rear end. We hope that is all it was, but will let you know if we hear more. I found photos on the internet showing loons with a leg high out of the water. The explanation I found was that this maneuver helps the loon regulate its body temperature. You'll notice a blue leg band in the top photo.

In the meantime, it's good news that our injured loon seems to be recovering nicely and is going to be released in Maine.