There is something very special about loons, and photographer Nick Leadley has captured that specialness in a spectacular way. In his book, Gavia – Tales from Loon Country, Nick gives us dozens of stunning photos of loons, and dozens of stories about loons submitted by folks all over the state.
As Harry Vogel, Executive Director of The Loon Preservation Committee in New Hampshire, notes in the Foreword, “Science and magic combine in loons as in no other animal.”
Nick has experienced photographic adventures all around the world, but says one of his very favorite places is the western Maine mountains where he spends his summers running a gallery in Rangeley, leading bird walks, moose photography outings, and more.
Nick included in the book one of my own stories, about a loon right behind my house that died of lead poisoning. Loons are doing fairly well in Maine, but raising a young one is very tough for them. Our two baby loons on Minnehonk Lake in Mount Vernon were both killed this year, I think by a Bald eagle. But even fish eat them.
But don’t worry, all the other stories are very positive and wonderful. Loons have been here for 20 million years, so yes, they are tough! I really enjoyed the two stories of people who freed loons tangled in fishing line. And the tales of battling male loons are amazing. The cries of loons even helped one lady recover from a devastating divorce.
While the stories are great, I’d buy this book just for Nick’s photographs. Loons in the fog. Loons fighting. Loons on the nest. Mother loons with babies on their backs. A parent feeding a baby loon. And one of my favorites, a loon swallowing a large fish.
That photo reminded me of the loon that grabbed a fish my Dad was reeling in on Sourdnahunk Lake. Dad quickly yanked the fish out of the loon’s mouth and whipped it into the boat. And that loon went around and around our boat, flapping its wings and squawking at us. And of course, as soon as Dad released that trout, the loon had it for supper.
To wet your appetite, I will share a poem in the book by Catherine Rogers of Wilton.
My Loons
I call them “my loons”
But of course they aren’t mine
They’re out on Pease Pond
Just taking their time
Floating and fishing,
And teaching their young
Welcoming visitors
Who come to have fun
Sometimes they sit quietly
Sometimes they call
Excited or plaintive,
We welcome them all
Such divine music
Above all the rest
Of the sounds emitting
From our “human-ness”
They’re part of our summer
So glad they are here
Can’t wait to see
“My loons” next year
While I hope you are enjoying your own loons this summer, take some time to check out more of Nick’s wonderful photos at touchthewild.smugmug.com.