Sirens of St. Regis

The wind blows in from the north, 10 minutes after 11 am. A loon calls in the distance, a beautiful sound unfamiliar to me.  I turned around and strolled to the edge of The Point to see where it may be. I witness a dark-headed figure with a long slim body swimming through the water accompanied by a smaller black figure trailing behind. A female loon calls to her baby in the middle of St. Regis Lake. The blistering sun shines upon the blue water, glistening with delightful contrast against the yellow goldenrods in the distance. The loon calls again, this time ducking under water immediately after as if to show her baby how to cool off from the intense heat that the sun radiates.  Just as the excitement is building up inside me and I feel as though I cannot take any more, three more loons appeared in the far shore of the lake. I cannot be more entertained by these 20-million-year old creatures. The sweat beaded down my forehead as the loons played in the cool water. This time I wanted so much to change form and become a loon. They are such a peaceful species. The loon calls again, her vocal chords wailing into the bright blue morning as she leads her child away into the distance. I am so glad that I am able to experience these creatures as everyone should be able to. They are so elegant and gracious, like sirens leading those who seek into the vicious doom of the morning.

This encounter is out of the ordinary. Loons spend most of their time preening, using their oil to keep their feathers looking good. This process is also used to keep them afloat in the water. They live for roughly 30 years. The loons have four calls and I am able to hear three of the four. The female loon’s call to her baby sounds like a hoot; this is a short call used primarily to communicate between mother and child. The second call is a tremolo. This is an aggressive call that sounds a lot like maniacal laughter. She used this call as the three loons appeared. The third call is a wail, the typical loon call. She used this call as she is left the area. This is an interesting scene in the North Country since loons are solitary animals and are not often spotted in groups.

Loons are so-named for their clumsy appearance as they walk on land. This is even more fascinating for a girl from Los Angeles, California. Growing up in California, especially the southern city, nature wasn’t a point of interest. The only birds I would catch a glimpse of were seagulls and crows. When I moved to New York five years ago, I was amazed at the nature-driven community. This is what ultimately led me to the field and the school I’m in now. Nature drives my life now.