53 degrees F Clear and Sunny Wind Calm
Sunrise 5:31 am CDT Sunset 8:49 pm CDT
Already this morning there has been action on the lake.
The sky is clear and blue, the sun is shining and the lake is like a sheet of glass.
But that does not mean it has been "quiet".
Our male left the nest to swim out and with the female confront another single loon, who went half flying, half paddling to get away. There was also another pair of loons a little further out who were on high alert. I am not sure if that is the other nesting pair on the lake or yet another pair of loons.
Within 5 minutes of our male leaving the nest, the female came flying/paddling back to the nest. She got up on the nest, turned the eggs and settled in.
The eggs were only uncovered for 5 minutes even with all that going on. They are too precious to lose them now.
There was not a 'violent' confrontation of any of the loons. Just an 'ushering away' and then a return to the nest.
Even while all of that was going on, there was both a mature eagle and an immature eagle that were fishing on the lake at the same time.
Plus there were five swans that flew over. I am not sure where they went but they did not seem to land on the lake.
So in addition to all the songbirds, ducks, Canada geese and wading birds, it has already been a busy morning here at "Loon Lake".
Our male loon once again took the long overnight shift of 13 hours and 23 minutes. But the female has settled into a routine of also taking long shifts of up to 10 hours. Our loons seem to have developed their own routine and are following it very well.
I was pleased again this morning, as I was down by the lake with binoculars watching to see what the eagles and other loons were doing, that the female seems to finally be comfortable with my presence and has apparently accepted me as not being a threat.
Where in the past she would have been in deep hangover or even left the nest if I had come down anywhere near the lake, this morning she never went into hangover once and sat with her head held high.
That is a very good sign.
Today may be an uncomfortable day for our loon on the nest. It is supposed to possibly get to 85 degrees with bright sunshine. So it is going to be hot for our loon having to stay on the nest.
You will probably see the loon take more short breaks today to cool off in the water.
But with the bright sun, they cannot be off the nest for too long.
The hot sun beating down on the dark-shelled egg can pose even more danger to the chicks inside from overheating than being exposed to cool air. It is always such a balancing act for our loons.
We are on the final countdown to the hoped for hatch of our little loons.
It could be as early as this weekend, but for sure within the next week.
The big even that we, and the loons, have all been waiting for!
Now it gets good!
Copyright, 2015 Larry R Backlund