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I encountered this immature swimming around in late September, after it seemed the rest of the adults had migrated. In mid-October it (or another) seemed to still be resident on the lake - we heard the plaintiff calls and could at times see it in the distance as we kayaked around. A bald eagle has been a common visitor soaring over the lake; we wonder if this immature fell prey, or managed to make the migration on its own.
This loon was doing a Penguin dance - done when they are threatened or distrested. In this case I was in a kayak well away but there were other loons close by, and presumably appearing as a threat.
We know a likely place for loons to nest, and each spring we observe from a distance. In 2025 we were able to see the parent on a nest (May 11) and then later (June 8-13) watched the parents with two chicks; the first chicks we've seen on North Otter in a long time.
All these nesting and chick photos were taken from extreme distance with a 500mm lens to avoid stressing the birds.