I hadn't intended to post this one. It's not, after all, the most attractive view of a Loon. But it does suit the theme, and I've been wondering about this behavior for some time. Maybe Randy or someone else can help. For the better part of an hour I sat on the floor of my little solo canoe, and watched as one or the other parent dove and then surfaced with what appeared to be a small twig. I figured he/she wasn't just bringing playthings for junior, but I didn't see any food value to the twigs. As I looked carefully, though, there seem to be little nodules on the twig in some of the images. None of the images shows them well, but you can get a hint of one in the chick's beak. Are these some sort of egg that has been deposited under water, or maybe little marine crustaceans? This youngster hadn't yet mastered the dive technique and was still relying on the two parents for sustenance. So I'm wondering, what do Loon chicks eat at this stage? This was nearly full-width cropped to pano, as the breeze kept drifting the little boat too close to the birds.
D500, Sigma 150-600 @ 480mm, ISO 640, 1/2500s @ f/8 manual. Lens resting on knee.
At this age, the chicks can/will eat just about anything they can swallow. Generally small fish are preferred, esp. perch, but crawdads, and other small crustaceans occ.
I have not seen this particular item, but I suspect it is what you suggest, a little twig with 'goodies' on it. I have seen them accidentally swallow some vegetation when it is entwined with the food item, but not by itself.
My experience is all mid west based, so perhaps there are different delicacies in different areas.
Good pov, shows how low they can ride when feeding chick.
Loon Parent and Chick, and a question
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