Outdoor Ontario

Discussion => Behaviour => Topic started by: bronco on June 12, 2015, 01:39:48 PM

Title: What are these Loons doing??
Post by: bronco on June 12, 2015, 01:39:48 PM

We saw these 2 loons speeding at high speed across the surface of the water - they did this nonstop for over 200 meters - zig-zagging back and forth. Apparently they were completely oblivious of our boats as they came with a few feet of us before the one chasing finally dived. What we would like to know is was this behavior one of territorial defense, courtship or other? Here are 3 of some 200 images I was lucky enough to capture of this sequence.

As always any help is very much appreciated.

(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/bronco1941/2015-06-08-271-01_zpst8mqybda.jpg)
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/bronco1941/2015-06-08-291-01_zpsoc6r0tov.jpg)
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/bronco1941/2015-06-08-294-01_zps5pzlwl5g.jpg)

Title: Re: What are these Loons doing??
Post by: Brian Bailey on June 12, 2015, 06:32:31 PM

I'm not usually in the right place at the right time to see Loon courtship, but this sounds more like a male chasing another male away from his territory.  If it went on that long, the intruder apparently wasn't getting the message!


BB

Sent from my birdroid using Tapatalk.

Title: Re: What are these Loons doing??
Post by: GStuart on June 12, 2015, 07:24:12 PM

Assuming that isn't the intruder doing the chasing.

Title: Re: What are these Loons doing??
Post by: bronco on June 15, 2015, 12:42:47 PM

Thanks for the replies -- if it's a territorial chase I wonder why didn't the intruder fly away rather than expend all that energy "running" on the water??