Summer on the lakes is set to loon music

I enjoyed an early morning fishing trip on a beautiful lake last week, using only my quiet electric trolling motor. Using my onboard electronics, I slowly cruised around the lake searching my favorite spots for schools of fish. It was peaceful and pleasant because the jet skiers and other forms of noisy boats and lake recreationists were still sleeping. As best as I could tell, I had the lake to myself. 

My only company was my favorite water bird, a pair of common loons. Or should I say three loons because the two adult loons had a young one with them. The young loon was a fuzzy gray color. They were fishing for their breakfast by diving deep into the lake. Occasionally, an adult loon would surface with a wiggling fish in its beak, swim to the loon chick and let it grab and devour the small fish. For over an hour, those loons fed within 20-30 feet of my boat.  

The common loon is a large and beautiful black and white bird known for its distinct call that echoes across our northern lakes, especially at night. Northwest Montana with its many pristine lakes is the summer home of many loons. I don’t know of any cabin owners or campers that don’t love loons. The loud and sometimes mournful call of the loon is a sign of northern lake country.