Quabbin loons at ice-out
Ice-out at Quabbin happened last week and the loons arrived the way they always do — quietly, in pairs. I spent the morning on the Gate 22 side walking slowly along the shore with the long lens.
Two Common Loons close to shore in full breeding plumage, already yodeling. A third bird further out that might have been a juvenile — hard to tell at that distance. Loons at the right distance in the right light are one of the better reasons to put up with the rest of photography.
In addition to the loons: Hooded Mergansers on a cove, two Bald Eagles that took turns holding a snag, and a chorus of Ring-necked Ducks that scattered every time an eagle flew. A single Red-breasted Merganser surprised me on the open water — you see more of those at the coast.
The water is so clear here that I watched a loon dive from the surface and tracked it for a few feet underwater from shore. Spooky.
No boats on the reservoir — Quabbin is no-swim, no-wade, and boats on the main body are restricted — which means the loons here don’t get the harassment they get on more accessible lakes. That’s the whole reason they breed here at all.
