Large groups of loons are rarely observed in the summer on Homer's Beluga Lake. Over a dozen were observed calling back and forth on Beluga Lake.
Observation by Marianne Aplin:
Large groups of loons are rarely observed in the summer on Homer's Beluga Lake. I've seen the phenomenon of common loon 'calling circles' in the Lower 48 (continental US) before and I think that's what's happening here. At a national wildlife refuge in the Lower 48, most of the individuals were banded, and researchers noted that one half of pairs from the surrounding area came in to these calling circles to meet with birds from other lakes. They form a circular formation and call - back and forth. This group was seen calling just after 8:00 AM until a float plane broke up the formation when it taxied in.
Comments from LEO Editors:
For more about the life cycle of the common loon, see the Common Loon Species Profile page from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.