Eagle vs loons

[Gordie]

Today, I enjoyed a great day trip in the Adk's St Regis canoe area: Long- Slang-Turtle-Hoel-Polliwog-Follensby Clear ponds. As I was lying in the sun along Long Pond, eyes closed, listening to the loons, and thinking it doesn't get much better than this, I heard a whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. I opened my eyes to see a bald eagle rising from near the surface of the lake 100' away, near where the loons were.

The last couple of times that I was at Hitchen's Pond I witnessed eagles apparently going after loons and their young. It was an amazing sight to behold.

Has anyone else seen eagles going after loons? Will eagles catch loon chicks? Or are they going after the fish that the loons caught?

I live near a bird sanctuary for ducks and geese. The eagles know this. They just sit there on the ice, surrounding the ducks all winter. Since the birds were protected and are no longer molested, I haven't seen so many bald eagles.

Here is one outside my back door the other day...

 

[yellowcanoe]

There are but a few places on our lake where loons can nest without the nests being destroyed by motorboat wakes. Sure enough on one such island an eagle made a nest.

And waited till the loons below had their chick and the chick was backriding on momma.. Down eagle came and plucked chick off the mothers back leaving her short a few feathers.. We came along in our canoe and asked the island owner who was standing outside why the two loons were just swimming around like in shock.. They did not care whether we were there or not.. The island guy reported what had happened as we had not witnessed it personally. At that time there was no time to incubate another egg.

We have at least three eagle nests that I know of and all seem to be strategically placed. I have to admit it is a thrill to hear loons but also to see an eagle that sits on a branch of a tree next to my neighbors kitchen window.