Posts Tagged ‘loons’

Squam Lake loons depart, a cozy time at our Inn

October 31st, 2010 by billwebb

Happy Halloween to everyone. Of course, Halloween means that November is up and that is the time of the year when our loons leave the lake and head for their winter habitat.  Loons

Squam Lake loons gone until next year

are a fascinating bird and while they have been around for millions of years they seem to have found their way into our consciousness as a result of the movie “On Golden Pond.”  They certainly hold a special spot in the hearts of lake residents all around Squam Lake.

When people visit our Holderness bed & breakfast they almost always ask where they can see loons. The best way is on the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center boat tour which departs from Holderness village three times a day during the summer and fall seasons. Occasionally we see them from the road, but it’s rare.

Loons will gather in groups before departing their summer home. They migrate to open water anywhere from the Maine coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Their plumage turns a dull gray during the late fall and winter months. They’d stay all year, but the ice which forms on the lakes throughout the New Hampshire Lakes Region means they can’t swim and dive for fish. So off to the open water they go. Males go one place, their female partners go elsewhere. An interesting phenomenon – married for life, but taking separate vacations!

As the cool weather settles in our attention turns from the many outdoor activities available to us during the summer and fall to the warm and inviting inside of the Inn. This is a time when our guests really appreciate the cozy feeling of our beautiful guest rooms and our main sitting room where people relax next to our fireplace where there’s always a crackling fire in the evening.

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First loons of the season on Squam Lake

April 29th, 2010 by billwebb

Well you know that summer can’t be far away when you see your first loons of the season. The ice on Squam Lake disappeared early this year and as usual loons found the open water almost immediately. These wonderful birds live in open water year round and it seems like those that spend the winter off the coast of New England must make daily scouting trips during the Spring to Holderness and the NH Lakes Region (see our day trip map) until they spot enough open water to allow them to return to their summer home. There’s a special feeling we have about loons. While they’re not an endangered species they’re not plentiful. On Squam Lake there are only about 50 loons altogether and their population has been declining over the past several years. The Loon Preservation Society and others are working hard to understand this trend.

Many of us were first introduced to the Loon through the classic film On Golden Pond which, of course, was filmed here on Squam Lake. It’s hard to believe the movie was made over 25 years ago! It’s no surprise that when we arrived in Holderness and decided to purchase this property that we named our New Hampshire bed and breakfast after the movie. We have always felt that the peace and serenity that prevailed in the movie was the tone we wanted in our NH inn. The popularity of the movie continues to this day and every year we have hundreds of visitors who take one of the tours on Squam Lake not only to see places where On Golden Pond was filmed, but to get closeup views of our loon population. It’s certainly likely that New Hampshire travel and tourism has benefited from our loon population.  If you haven’t seen a loon closeup (or even if you have) enjoy the attached video of a mother loon and her chicks.

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