The Call of the Loons

Christine Hersom

(3 min read)

As I was lying in bed listening to the waves lap the shoreline, I wondered if a boat had passed further out on the lake. Was I hearing the wake or maybe the wind picked up on the water creating waves. In the distance, I could hear the call of the loon. A loon’s call is a beautiful, yet haunting. They call back and forth to locate each other. It is a magnificent, calming sound that I look forward to every summer. To me it sounds like everything is right with the world.

We can make s’mores at home, but they taste best when cooked over a campfire and sharing them with family and friends make the experience memorable. But I digress. I want to talk about loons and nature.

The loons are a summer treat. They return every year, have their babies, and raise them on the lake. Not only is it a rite of passage for the loons, but it is a reminder of the beauty of nature.

The next morning when I awoke, the sun was beginning to rise, and the air was calm and quiet. The birds had begun to chirp and the mist on the lake was beautiful. I stretched and smiled, What an honor it is that I get to enjoy such beauty. I heard a loon’s distress call. It was screeching, chortling, and doing a type of penguin dance. I figured that an eagle was getting too close to the nest. I understand the “Circle of Life,” but it’s still hard to watch.

After about thirty seconds of that raucous sound, curiosity got the better of me. I slipped from my bed and walked to the shore. Across the lake in the marshes, I saw the loons flapping and screeching. The mist was heavy, so it is hard to see the cause of their distress. It turned out I was right. An eagle was trying to attack the nest. The loons were going crazy, and the eagle was persistent.

Before you knew it, the eagle was flying off. The loons had won the fight. The nest was safe, and the loons quieted down. It was victory day for the underdog. I sat contemplating what I had seen. Eagles are beautiful, majestic, and strong. The loons are beautiful and graceful, but usually lose to the eagles. Today the loons won.

And it was in that moment, all was right with the world.

 

Christine Hersom
All Things Wellness, LLC
christinehersom@yahoo.com

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