What’s black and white and heard all over?
A loon, of course!
A poor joke, I know. But, if you’ve ever heard a loon call, you might agree!
Loons are wonderful waterfowl that we have in residence on our lake in Northern Wisconsin. Their distinctive call has been heard over and over the last few days, especially at dusk and dawn.
Loons are native to the state of Wisconsin. They are migratory birds and appear in the northern part of the state in the summer on or near our numerous freshwater lakes. In the fall and winter, loons can be found in Mexico and the southern Atlantic states. If you live in the southern half of Wisconsin, you might be lucky to spot a look in the spring, stopping over on a lake in your neck of the woods
Speaking of necks, look at that distinctive plumage! The call of the loons this morning inspired my poem for Poetry Friday. A family of three was swimming and calling so long that I had to rush out to the dock to try and capture the conversation. Unfortunately, they were not close enough for photos, so I included some copyright-free images from Pixabay! On the lake, however, I saw three loons, swimming and calling between two boats – one at either end of the lake. It was a fun and welcome sight!
A Loon’s Day
Black and white,
Almost tuxedo-like.
Common Loon feathers,
stuck together make
a natural pattern
to instantly
recognize our
waterfowl friend.
Waking us at dawn with
a call that sounds crazy,
notifying its young to stop
being lazy.
The time is now to fish,
you see, the mother Loon
is as wise as can be.
Get on the lake, before the
fishermen rise, let’s beat them
to the grandest prize.
This lake is nice, says Mama Loon,
but let’s do our best to take our
food before the boats arrive and
scare us too. Back to the nest in the
rising day’s heat, we’ll wait for dinner
until the people are all beat.
Then we can swim again, on our beloved swell,
calling to other loons to join us and dwell.
On the lake, we’ll glide while the sun
sinks low. Happily, happily, we live on the go.
Today is Poetry Friday! This week’s roundup is hosted by A Word Edgewise blog. Thank you for hosting!
The Apples in My Orchard 
Carol, this poem is delightful! I love science facts blended with narrative poetry. I do love a good loon call. I haven’t heard one in a long time. I think I need to head north in a summer soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! I apologize for my late reply. We have since been back to the cabin and the loons are still calling!
LikeLike
Sounds like you have a lovely view! I don’t know what loons sound like, but my husband has heard a lot of them and he said our dog Preston sounded like one this week when he was upset that I was gone. As you say, it’s “a call that sounds crazy”!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Strangely enough, I’ve come to really love that crazy sound! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you get to hear a loon someday! It would be interesting to know if you thought it was like the upset dog or not!
LikeLike
Someday I hope to spend time on a lake where there are loons. Sounds like a version of heaven.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is our little slice of just that! Thanks for stopping by and I am sorry for my late reply!
LikeLike
You captured the Loon life perfectly in this poem.
“Waking us at dawn with
a call that sounds crazy,
notifying its young to stop
being lazy” – JUST like the human parent/child relationship! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! It is ….. that would have been a great simile! Thanks for the comments and for stopping by!
LikeLike
Carol, I’m so jealous! Love how much info you imparted in this poem. I’m going to link to this post from my SECRETS OF THE LOON page, okay? (laurasalas.com/secrets)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! I have some ideas for edits but am going to let it sit for a while now. I’m glad you liked it and am thrilled you’ll share it.
LikeLike
Margaret, your poem and photos give me a sense of peace and wonder. I love Laura’s SECRETS OF THE LOON, and I love your poem too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oops! I meant Carol. So sorry, Carol,I’ve been reading a lot of blog posts today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No problem. It is easy to be mixed up, especially if you are commenting on a lot of blogs – we all appreciate it – no matter what we are called! 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you!
LikeLike