All Things Pleasant on the Lake

“It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want-oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”   Mark Twain

Sunrise reflects on an icy lake which has been inviting skaters and ice boaters out to play. Several warmer days recently have given us all spring fever. Spring fever here on the northern lakes always makes us think about the return of our dear loons. Where are they now? Not far… just off the New England coast, tucked in coves and backwaters bobbing in the ocean along with the lobster boats. This is our fifth year checking on a group of loons that winter in Biddeford Pool, Maine. We have grown fond of the group, and have nicknames for most of them. “Old Grizzly” is molting his flight feathers right now and is unable to fly. He seems itchy and often pulls at remaining feathers. Mrs. Mooselookmeguntic is here as well. She is a banded loon from Mooselookmeguntic Lake in northern Maine. Can you make out her red band with a white stripe on the left leg and the green band on the right leg? At low tide the loons love to come into The Pool and fish for crabs. They pull up some good size crabs and swallow them down in one gulp! Perhaps these wintering loons have spring fever as well.  When they tuck their bills back into their warm down, rocked by gently waves, their hearts might very well ache with longing to be home, home to the lakes they love so very much.
Sending all the best, Kittie

(Photographs by Kittie Wilson)***Please know that Kittie will be away from her desk next week. One week of “All Things Pleasant on the Lake” will be missed, but will begin again on Friday, February 16th.***