Hi Bill and all, Just for your information, the bird in Lakeview Cemetery is in breeding plumage. It certainly LOOKS fine, but how would I know if it were sick? The lagoon is more than Palmer's 20 yards in diameter, but still I wonder... This morning, for the first time, we heard it call a couple of times. It also rose out of the water and flapped its wings--I wonder if it's preparing to take off--or wishing it could... Best wishes, Steve Cagan Cleveland Heights on 5/17/09 1:33 PM, Bill Whan at [log in to unmask] wrote: > Terry-- > As Dave Hochadel pointed out, loons are still around Ohio in several > places. This is normal. Every year a few will even stay all summer; > these birds are almost never in breeding plumage. Here near Columbus a > few years back we had a pair of adult-plumaged loons all summer, as well > as a report they were seen with young: this would have been a first Ohio > breeding record had it been confirmed. > Of course a bird that's injured and cannot fly will stay put, too. As > long as there's open water and food it will survive, but if it > doesn't heal nature will take its course. Wounded loons, it is said, > typically more often resort to dry land on shore, even though they are > very awkward there. Loons trapped in a small pond have been known to > half-crawl for long distances to reach larger take-off areas. > There is a third possibility. Loons are heavy, and comparatively > short-winged, with feet placed way back on their bodies; this requires a > good distance in which to patter along the water's surface--preferably > into the wind--to get airborne. They apparently cannot take off from > land, and in the water can't just spring into the air and fly off, like > a mallard. Palmer says they require a minimum of 20 yards, into a stiff > breeze. The literature reports that in other circumstances they may need > as much as 200 yards to get airborne, and high enough to clear trees, > etc., along the way. > Bill Whan > Columbus > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at > www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ----------- Steve Cagan, photographer www.stevecagan.com 216-932-2753 (USA) Current and upcoming activities: stevecagan.com/contents/currentactivities.html ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]