Sorry for the posts on back to back days, but I wanted to report on the status of the Jersey City Flowage male, released four days ago. He is looking healthy and diving normally, it seems, as this photo by Linda Grenzer suggests. Thanks, Linda, for tracking him down!

He has moved about a mile in the large lake where he was released, and has skirted the territory of a pair that nests in the lake. So, while it is far too early to pronounce him out of the woods, things are looking promising. It is remarkable to observe the severe injuries from which loons can recover. Let us hope that this bird — who has both the brightest bands in the study area and the calmest disposition — can add to the short list of loons that have flirted with death following fishing entanglement, been captured and disentangled, and recovered to become territory owners again.