[mou] Why did the Loon cross the road?/Otter Tail Co

[Dan & Sandy Thimgan]

Our neighbors, Lenny and Eileen, experienced one of those special  
Wild Kingdom moments this morning.  Lenny -- a serious yard guy --  
was mowing a strip of lawn along the road directly across from his  
lake home when he noticed some flapping and flopping in the flooded,  
reed-filled ditch.  Possibly an injured bird, he thought?  No, it was  
a young loon (who, of course, are not well-designed for walking)  
attempting to struggle out of the ditch with intentions of crossing  
the road.  This raises that age-old question: Why did the loon cross  
the road? In this case, apparently to leave the smaller body of water  
where it had hatched (Unnamed Lake 56-305), to enter a different and  
much larger body of water (Silver Lake).

Lenny ran back to the house, called his wife, and together they  
scooped up the uncomplaining bird in a blanket and transported it  
about another 50 yards to the lake.  According to them, the bird gave  
one short hoot, and nonchalantly swam away.

This young bird was clearly one of the two loon chicks who were first  
observed and recorded on June 16. We had heard “our” local loons  
calling repeatedly the last couple of days, so this must have been  
communication/encouragement for this youngster.

We estimated the young loon pulled/flopped/struggled for at least a  
quarter of a mile from the now water-lily-choked environmental lake  
of its birth through a marshy area now completely filled with 8-10  
foot-high cattails.

Another neighbor had a similar experience just down the road about  
ten years ago, when she and her father helped a pair of loon chicks  
cross the same road.  Anyone seen a Loon Xing sign? Apparently we  
need one for South Silver Lake Road.

Lenny and Eileen told us they would be out of town this weekend, and  
we have been named designated watchers in case the second young loon  
puts in an appearance.

Dan & Sandy Thimgan

-- 
Thimgans
Battle Lake MN
Otter Tail County

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