One sure sign of spring is the return of the Common Loons. Common Loons are unable to take off from ice or land. Which means they need to wait for Old Man Winter to leave Garfield Lake in the spring. Adult Common Loons couples migrate individually each fall to their southern homes. The males are the first to arrive on Garfield Lake. Their mates return if she survived the rigors of migration and the couple was successful last season. The couple normally stays together for a long time if successful, perhaps a life time. Which could be thirty years.

The size of a loon’s territory is directly related to the abundance of fish. The fewer the fish, the larger the territory. Some larger lakes can have up to 8-10 pairs nesting. Loons lay two olive brown, speckled eggs each nesting season. The pair sits on the eggs for four weeks before the chicks hatch.

Source: Information drawn from Our love of loons, by Stan Tekiel

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