After spending the winter along the Northeast coast, adult Common Loons are returning to their New England breeding ponds and lakes. Evidence indicates that photoperiod determines the general timing of their northern migration. Loons are well known for arriving at their breeding lakes soon after ice out (often returning when lakes are only partly open). How do they time their return so precisely? Loons often congregate in open bodies of water, including rivers, as they proceed northward. Once they approach their breeding grounds, reconnaissance flights are made from open water to territorial waters to see if the ice is out. Once it is, their migration continues.
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