Bill

Many animals crush their prey before swallowing it.  It goes down easier. 
I've occasionally see Great Blue Herons take well over half hour to do 
similar behavior as you observed today.

Get well soon.

George



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill & Carol Moody" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 4:55 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Loon Behavior


> Was nursing my cold staring today out the window at the lower Patuxent
> River, practicing counting ruddy ducks, etc., when I notice a bird about
> half way across sort of causing a commotion.  Turned out to be a loon, and
> it had what appeared to be a (dead) little flounder in it's beak, about 
> the
> size of your hand.  The loon held it in it's beak and "chomped" a couple 
> of
> times, then dropped it in the water and dunked it two or three times, then
> brought it up and chomped it again, dunk it, over and over.  mostly it 
> held
> it cross wise in it's bill (a bit hard to distinguish with the flounder). 
> I
> watched this go on for about 15 minutes wondering what was going on.  the
> platform of the fish was definitely bigger than the loon's throat, so
> thought maybe it was trying to cut in in pieces.  Eventually dismissed 
> that
> thought when it came up with the mouth of the fish in the beak with tail
> sticking out, and "gulp" down it went, and the loon swam away happily (my
> interpretation).
>
> Is this a common feeding practice for a loon (or should that be a feeding
> practice for a comon loon)?
>
>
> Bill Moody
> Lexington Park, MD
>