{"id":9155,"date":"2022-05-27T14:47:07","date_gmt":"2022-05-27T18:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/?p=9155"},"modified":"2022-05-26T19:47:24","modified_gmt":"2022-05-26T23:47:24","slug":"injured-ed-throated-loon-desjardin-canal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/injured-ed-throated-loon-desjardin-canal\/","title":{"rendered":"A Bittersweet Closer Look at a Red-throated Loon"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have seen Red-throated Loons in the winter diving way out in Hamilton harbour. The simple colours of the wintering birds blend well with the steel-grey waters (Hamilton–steel–did you notice how wittily I wrote that?).<\/p>\n

Late this May, I heard an adult Red-throated Loon in its breeding plumage was seen at the Desjardins Canal. It was an injured bird, though, that had been brought there by a human rescuer. So I went to see it, feeling the bittersweetness of seeing the bird up close but knowing it was likely going to die.<\/p>\n

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How Common Are Red-throated Loons?<\/h2>\n

The Loon I am familiar with is the black and white Common Loon that summers in Ontario’s southern lakes, making the haunting calls used in many movies. I knew that Red-throated Loons and Arctic Loons also breed in Canada but I wasn’t sure how abundant they are. So I went to the Cornell University website<\/strong><\/a> to look it up.<\/p>\n

The website says there may be about a quarter of a million Red-throated Loons worldwide. They are found in Europe and parts of Asia as well as North America.There are about 5 times more Common Loons.<\/p>\n

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Do Red-throated Loons Need a Running Start?<\/h2>\n

If you’ve watched Common Loons, you’ve probably seen that they have trouble getting airborne. They start flapping and “running” across the water before they actually take off fully.<\/p>\n

According to the Cornell Website, though, Red-throated Loons can spring into flight more like some ducks. That means they can use small ponds safely unlike larger Common Loons.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the Red-throated Loon I visited had an injury and was not even diving for food, much less flying.<\/p>\n

Hoping for Happier Encounters<\/h2>\n

As I walked through the park beside the Desjardins Canal, I saw many other birds including Hooded Mergansers, Yellow Warblers, and Tree Swallows defending their nesting boxes. It was cheering to see them. I hope the next Red-throated Loon I see is in good health, even if it means it won’t be an “up close and personal” encounter.<\/p>\n

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