The Newsleaders
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Sartell – St. Stephen
    • St. Joseph
    • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Column
    • Editorial
    • Letter to the Editor
  • Community
    • Calendar
    • Citizen Spotlight
    • Criers
    • People
  • Notices
    • Funerals/Visitations
    • Obituary
    • Police Blotter
    • Public Notices
    • Support Groups
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Submissions
  • Archives
    • Sartell-St. Stephen Archive
    • St. Joseph Archive
  • Advertise With Us
    • Print Advertising
    • Digital Advertising
    • 2021 Promotions
    • Pay My Invoice
The Newsleaders
No Result
View All Result

PineCone Pet Hospital MillerCarlin Serving all of central Minnesota locations!

Albany: 320-845-2035
Holdingford: 320-746-9994
St. Cloud: 320-252-7004
Upsala: 320-573-6234
Toll-free: 1-800-644-4058
Collegeville Stearns Bank
Home News

‘Littlest Loon’ author shares loon fun facts

July 24, 2014
in News, Sartell – St. Stephen
0
‘Littlest Loon’ author shares loon fun facts

photo courtesy DNR A loon floats along with her chick nestled safely on her back.

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

by Dennis Dalman

news@thenewsleaders.com

Do loons sneeze?

Kids, who say the darnedest things, also ask some of the darnedest questions: Do loons sneeze?

An elementary-school student asked that question of author and loon-enthusiast Bob Kutter, who was delighted and later, chuckling, told many others about it. Well, lo and behold, one day Kutter received a video tape from one of his former language-arts students. The video showed a loon sneezing or – well, at least – appearing to be in the middle of a sneezing fit.

Kutter, who lives on Big Birch Lake near Grey Eagle, recently spoke at one of the Sartell Senior Connection’s Thursday morning “Coffee and Conversation” gatherings at Country Manor.

Kutter is the author of The Littlest Loon, a children’s storybook he wrote, based on an actual incident that happened near his lake home. One day in the summer of 2010, Kutter and many neighbors noticed a lone loon chick, recently hatched, in late June, much later than most normal hatchings. The little loon was alone, his parents not in sight. Everyone pondered what to do. Finally, Kutter and his wife, Nancy, boated over to the stranded chick, scooped it up in a fishing net and brought it over to the middle of the lake where they’d spotted some adult loons. As soon as the Kutters released the chick, the two loons – apparently its parents – were at its side in a split second.

“I mean, they were there like NOW!” said Kutter, snapping his fingers. “In an instant.”

And later, to everyone’s happy satisfaction, the little loon could be seen often by lake dwellers, riding on the back of one of its parents. Then along came Nov. 21, a lake ice-up, when all the loons on the lake – including, presumably, the once-lost loon, up and flew east and south for the winter.

Kutter’s storybook recounts that story in language that can be understood by children as young as kindergarten. The book was illustrated by Debra Johnson, a retired educator and friend of the Kutters, also from Grey Eagle. Johnson also spoke at the “Coffee and Conversation” meeting, telling listeners how nervous and hesitant she was when asked to illustrate the book. Up to then, she had only dabbled in art. The assignment was a daunting challenge, but after lots of research and false starts, she finally managed to make the story come to visual life with her pastel drawings.

The Kutters, too, are both retired educators.

After watching loons on their lake for years, the Kutters have learned quite a lot about the fascinating birds, knowledge they enjoy sharing with others.

When a loon chick is hatched in late June or July (as in Kutter’s storybook), it’s later than normal, and most often the chick will not survive. The chick in Kutter’s book was the size of a fuzzy black tennis ball, visible only by looking through binoculars from the shore.

Chick loons are fed almost constantly by their parents to get big enough and strong enough to join the migration route before harsh winter sets in. The chick mentioned by the Kutters was not only very little, he was very lucky.

A loon generally lays only two eggs, sometimes in on-shore nests (some of them man-made). Loons are very territorial and stake out their own places on a given lake. But toward mid-summer, they are known to gather all together in the middle of the lake and “party,” Kutter noted. It’s as if the intensive feeding and caring for their chicks, once done, is cause to celebrate and let their territorial guard down, Kutter explained.

This summer, there have been 14 baby chicks counted by the loon-lovers of Big Birch Lake. Last year, a nasty storm on the lake in June wiped out all the chicks, Kutter noted.

Kutter played a recording of the many kinds of calls loons are famous for. Some sound similar to a tap-tap woodpecker sound, others sound like a quick chittering racket, some are “hoots,” some sound like yodeling and giddy-laughing sounds, and still others are the lonesome mournful call so familiar to Minnesotans.

The crazy laughing sound is where the expression “crazy as a loon” originated, Kutter said.

Generally, Kutter added, most loon calls mean “Where are you? Come here.”

Loons are said to mate for life, but often what happens is male intruders will barge into another male’s territory and battle for dominance, sometimes forcing the defending male to retreat, and such rejected males often later die. Kutter had once seen two male loons fight for more than four hours, but the intruder was driven off.

Loons are not adept on land. They tend to waddle and fall over quickly. They also need a long stretch of water, like an airport runway, to launch themselves into flight.

Other fun facts about loons mentioned by Kutter:

Loons have summer habitats from Alaska all the way over to New England. There are an estimated 14,000 loons in Minnesota, many more if you count the people.

Loons thrive on eating smaller fish, though they will also eat insects and crustaceans. They can dive up to 150-feet deep and stay underwater for up to 90 seconds. Their eyes have a double lid to protect them underwater. Loons are seen only on nice and clear lakes because they need clear, clean water to see their prey at deep depths.

When migrating, loons first go to Lake Michigan where they stop to feed on a certain kind of lake food. Then they fly, often on air currents, non-stop to the Gulf of Mexico Florida area. They can fly and glide at up to 110 mph, 150 mph if there is a tail wind. Youngest loons stay in the Gulf of Mexico area for up to three years so they can grow old enough to mate.

Loons have been known to live for up to 20 – and in some rare cases – up to 30 years old.

Kutter said he was pleased with the reception of his book by so many loyal readers. The Littlest Loon can be purchased via amazon.com, at “On a Lark” in St. Joseph and at “By Hand” in Waite Park.

photo by Dennis Dalman Author Bob Kutter shared his fun facts about loons and his storybook "The Littlest Loon" at a meeting of the Sartell Senior Connection recently. Kutter was accompanied by his wife, Nancy (right) and the book's illustrator Debra Johnson. All are retired educators from the Grey Eagle area.

photo by Dennis Dalman
Author Bob Kutter shared his fun facts about loons and his storybook “The Littlest Loon” at a meeting of the Sartell Senior Connection recently. Kutter was accompanied by his wife, Nancy (right) and the book’s illustrator Debra Johnson. All are retired educators from the Grey Eagle area.

photo courtesy DNR A loon floats along with her chick nestled safely on her back.

photo courtesy DNR
A loon floats along with her chick nestled safely on her back.

Previous Post

Groundbreaking set for Abounding Joy

Next Post

‘Dine to Donate’ to help dog park

Next Post

'Dine to Donate' to help dog park

Please login to join discussion

CMCU Twitter Follow us on
Twitter
for the latest news!
Facebook Follow us on Facebook
for the latest news!
Calendar 2 Click here for our
community events!

Go Fund Me # 1 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!
Elizabeth Brunsvold
Cultural Connections
Jim Berg & Mary Kruger
Mary & John Davis
Sandy Denne
Bobbi & David Gouker
James & marry Graeve
Juliana Howard
Julia Joplin
Linda Kmitch
M. Molus
Sheila Nahan
Go Fund Me # 2 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!

Peggy & Michael Roske
Judy Scheuerell
Geraldine Schwab
James Stotko
James Towler
Anna Trobec
Kaye Wenker
Ellen Wahlstrom
Leona Wieland
Jeanie Wilkens
GAGEN & VASUGI RAMANATHAN
Go Fund Me # 3 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!
Nicole Borg
Erica Karger-Gatzow
Dane & Lori Listug-Lunde
Nadine Martin
Doris Minnerath
Merry Mund
Marilyn Peitso
Stephen Schwanke
Dianne Tuff
Dale Zacher
Private Donors

Search

No Result
View All Result

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Winter fun at Snowfest
  • Foundation sponsors I Love to Read Giveaway
  • Free frozen meals available for senior citizens
  • Kluesner sworn into St. Joseph City Council
  • Local artists serve up art by the slice

City Links

Sartell
St. Joseph
St. Stephen

School District Links

Sartell-St. Stephen school district
St. Cloud school district

Chamber Links

Sartell Chamber
St. Joseph Chamber

Community

Calendar

Citizen Spotlight

Criers

People

Notices

Funerals/Visitions

Obituary

Police Blotter

Public Notices

Support Groups

About Us

Contact Us

News Tips

Submissions

Advertise With Us

Print Advertising

Digital Advertising

2021 Promotions

Local Advertising Rates

National Advertising Rates

© 2021 Newleaders

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Sartell – St. Stephen
    • St. Joseph
    • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Column
    • Editorial
    • Letter to the Editor
  • Community
    • Calendar
    • Citizen Spotlight
    • Criers
    • People
  • Notices
    • Funerals/Visitations
    • Obituary
    • Police Blotter
    • Public Notices
    • Support Groups
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Submissions
  • Archives
    • Sartell-St. Stephen Archive
    • St. Joseph Archive
  • Advertise With Us
    • Print Advertising
    • Digital Advertising
    • 2021 Promotions
    • Pay My Invoice

© 2021 Newleaders

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In