June 11, 2026 -

​

A HATCH ANNOUNCEMENT!  On Monday, June 8th, the loon pair on the north end of the lake, hatched two chicks.  Pre-dawn that Monday morning, the loons were loudly, repeatedly vocalizing.  Mid-morning, Ed Wallen observed one loon still on the nest in a protective posture.  Late morning, the adults were seen making their way, with two tiny chicks close between them. towards the opposite shoreline of the cove from where the nest platform is located.        They spent the following day in that quiet location, feeding tiny bits of aquatic food to the hatchlings.   Of interest , some interesting observations, development and safety facts about loon chicks: (#edited from Loon Preservation Committee website).

• Loon chicks can swim immediately.  Adults take them from the nest, and do not return to that nest with those chicks.

• Chicks can shallow dive, for a short amount of time, two days after hatched. The chicks on Diamond were observed diving 24 hours after hatching. Diving is a protection from eagles preying above.  But because chicks are less buoyant than adults, it is hard for them to dive deep enough to escape boat propellers or jet skis. 

• They will ride on an adult's back or tuck under a wing for warmth and protection from perils of preying eagles above, and fish, turtles from below.

• Loon juveniles fledge by 12 weeks--meaning they feed themselves independently and can fly. 

 

Thank you to all who have been so respectful of giving the nesting loons quiet and space! Now please be conscientious about giving the adults and chicks the recommended distance of 150-200 feet

when you come upon them on the lake (as stated by WI DNR and loon-monitoring organizations). Loon adults protecting their chicks will loudly vocalize if they see a kayak, canoe, fishing boat,

pontoon, jet ski that is too close.

 

A photo of the chicks with adults a few hours after hatching, is shown here. Thank you to Pat Arndt, Diamond Lake resident, for recording and sharing it!

​

ENJOY watching this year’s chicks grow—another gift of Diamond Lake to you! –

 

-Jessie Meschievitz, LoonWatch Volunteer, Sigurd Olson Institute