Tuesday, April, 18, 2017 12:12 pm CDT

53 degrees F   Rain  Wind SSW 10 mph

Sunrise   6:22 am CDT   Sunset   8:03 pm CDT

 

There are dark, scudding clouds moving across the sky and it has been raining most of the morning.

It is amazing how things have been greening up so much after the rain of the last few days.

The crocuses bloom is almost done.  And the daffodils have now started blooming.  Forsythia forms a mound of yellow.

Ahhhhhh, the wonder of spring and new life.

We continue to work on getting the nest ready to go in the water.

Yesterday after dealing with a number of technical problems, we got the camera going (not online yet but we were doing all the trouble shooting that is necessary).  But then it stopped working and so we have some more work to do.

It sounds so simple when it finally is up and running.  But simple it is not.  Cameras have to talk to routers who have to talk to servers, who have to talk to other computers, who have to send things out over the internet.  When it all works, it is wonderful.  But there are experts who make it all happen.  So thanks to Anthony for all his brilliant work.

We are getting close.  And hopefully very soon you will be able to watch the new nest as we wait for our beloved loons.

Hang in there.  It is coming.

 

Copyright 2017  Larry R Backlund

 

Wednesday, March 29, 2017 12:23 am CDT

34 degrees F   Clear   Wind Calm

Sunrise  6:59 am CDT   Sunset  7:38 pm CDT

 

We have a LOON!

Today has been a beautiful sunny blue-sky spring day with temperatures almost up to 70 degrees F!

About 5 pm this afternoon, I got a phone call from my neighbors.  They had just heard from some friends of theirs who were out on the lake in their boat.  And they were calling to report that they had seen a single loon on the other side of the lake!

Minutes later I went back outside and sure enough!  I could hear a loon calling on the other side of the lake.

So there is at least one loon on the lake!  I could not see it but I sure could hear it.

I think it may be only one loon so far.  Why do I say that?  Because all evening there have been numerous calls from the other side of the lake.  They were wails.  Which you already know as "I am here, where are you?" calls.

But there never was an answering call that I heard.  

So I think it is only one loon so far.

But that is nothing to be concerned about at this point.  That is pretty common that one loon would come before some of the others.

But we KNOW now that loons are on the move and at least this one loon has made it this far north!  And undoubtedly many others are already in the midst of their migration north.

When I went outside a few minutes ago, once again I heard the single loon calling.

It was almost hard to hear the call above the din of the noisy seagulls who have arrived in full song.

Also, high overhead in the starlit sky I could hear a flock of swans flying north.  It did not sound like they stopped but continued their flight further north.

Also this afternoon I saw and heard sandhill cranes flying high overheard.

So all of a sudden it seems like everything is on the move!

What a wonderful and miraculous time of year!

 

Copyright 2017  Larry R Backlund

 

 

Tuesday, March 27, 2017 12:27 am CDT

32 degrees F   Partly Cloudy   Wind Calm

Sunrise  7:00 am CDT    Sunset  7:36 pm CDT

 

The ice is finally going out of the lake.

This last Saturday, March 25 is probably the "official ice out date".

This is the second ice out date since the ice went out on March 8th but then refroze.  It has been a strange spring to have this happen, especially the way it happened.

In the spring, the ice usually melts around the edges of the lake long before the ice goes out.  This year, the ice went out because of high winds but the lake remained frozen up to the edges.

Even with the ice going out of the lake on Saturday, it has still been right up to shore here on the loon's side of the lake.

So there is nothing I can do about putting the nest in the water yet.

But it was 61 degrees today and that remaining ice was turning to mush and the slight wind or wave action will take it out very soon.

I keep watching but so far I have not seen any loons.

There are thousands of raucus seagulls on the lake for the last week as they migrate north.  Even now in the middle of the night the sound is almost deafening from the seagulls.

There also have been a couple dozen mergansers and other waterfowl moving through on their journey north.  Even a couple pair of beautiful swans.

But right now, all we can do is wait.

Mother Nature works on her own schedule.

And we have no control over it.

But hopefully soon we will start seeing loons!

 

Copyright 2017  Larry R Backlund

 

Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:15 pm CDT

43 degrees F  Sunny and Clear  Wind 3 mph SE

Sunrise  7:23 am CDT   Sunset  7:21 pm CDT

 

MINNESOTA - THE THEATER OF SEASONS

Welcome to the latest 'production' at the Minnesota theater!

We have had a very mild winter here at Loon Lake.

Very little snow.  And mild temperatures for January and February.

There hasn't been any snow on the ground for weeks.  Ice fishermen were out on the lake fishing just 2 weeks ago.

Then on Sunday and Monday (5th and 6th) the temperature was in the 60s.  Daffodils, crocus and tulips were peeking out of the ground.

But late in the day on Monday, storms moved in and there were widespread tornado warnings. One tornado touched down not more than 20 miles from Loon Lake!  Way too close.

I could see the dark low-hanging clouds and it was obvious that areas were getting very heavy rain and hail.  Some areas even got softball size hail!

But here at the lake, all was calm.  NO rain. NO wind.  NO hail. NO storm.  But it was more than close enough when you can see and hear it in the distance.

Temperatures started to drop the next day and HIGH winds picked up as the storm system moved out of the area.

On Tuesday the 8th, the wind blew hard all day long.  It was strong enough to start breaking up the ice.  Which was strange since the ice was still solid up to shore.  Usually the ice melts around shore before it ever starts to move and break up.

But these high winds broke it up and by the end of the day, the lake was mostly open!

Except for here.  Here the ice was still frozen right up to shore.  So even if I wanted to (which I didn't), I could not have put the loon nest in the lake. There was still solid ice.   Plus it was still much too early.

I just hoped that the loons also thought it was too early and would not come back right away.

I kept watching for them but even if they had been on the lake, I probably would not have seen them since the wind continued for days and with all the high waves it is impossible to pick them out among the waves.

So far there have been no reports that loons are on the move.  And that is good with the cold weather that has descended down across the country!

Because by this last Sunday the lake was once again frozen over!  And it is still completely frozen.

The last several days have had low temperatures down as low as zero!

I even saw my first robin day before yesterday, the morning that it was zero here!  I think he was having second thoughts about having come so early!

Temperatures are supposed to return to closer to normal over this weekend.  So the ice may not last too long.  But as far as I am concerned, it can still wait a couple weeks.  That would make it closer to normal ice out dates.

But we are getting closer to another exciting loon season.  Spring officially arrives on Monday but here in the "north country" we usually do not consider spring to really have arrived until sometime in April.  March can be one of our snowiest months.  And we need the snow.

Catch up on your sleep because loon time will be here before we know it.  Tell your family and friends to get ready.  Tell your kid's teachers.  Tell everyone.

This year probably will be a VERY interesting and unusual year.

As most of you remember, our beloved male from the LoonCam was killed in August of 2015.

The female came back last year and took some ownership of the nest but she did not have a mate so we had no loons using the nest last year.

However, there were TWO other pairs of loons that took some interest in the nest and some ownership of it.

So when the loons come back,  we could be in for a BATTLE ROYALE over who will actually 'own' it and use it this year.

It should be very interesting and educational.  But it could also be brutal if they battle over the nest.

Who knows what will happen?

That is what makes watching the LoonCam so exciting!  Most of the time it is like watching paint dry or grass grow (BEAUTIFUL paint and grass!).

But then comes that moment of surprise and excitement.  And you don't want to miss a minute of it!

So get ready!

It is COMING!

 

Copyright Larry R Backlund  2017

 

Saturday, November 5, 2016 5:43 pm CDT

 

68 degrees F  Sunny  Wind Calm

Sunrise  7:58 am CDT     Sunset  5:55 pm CDT

 

It is hard to believe that it is November.

First of all when I look to see how long it has been since I have posted.

But more importantly, we are having an unusually mild fall.

Here it is November 5th and today it was 72 degrees and sunny!  And a  new record temperature of 73 degrees in the Twin Cities.

A beautiful blue sky, a blue lake like a mirror with thousands of seagulls and hundreds of coots.  An occasional eagle flies over and sends the coots into a scurry across the surface of the lake.  What I call a 'waterfall of coots' because it sounds like you are standing next to a waterfall.

Most of the leaves are already off the trees with just the few last stubborn ones hanging on.

We have had only a few light frosts so far only down to 30 degrees.  No killing frost here yet.  Further south in the Twin Cities they have not had a frost at all yet and do not expect one until next Saturday morning.  If that happens it will be the longest growing season in the Twin Cities of recorded history.  Breaking the old record of 207 days.

But quickly this will become a season of changes.

Tomorrow night it will already be dark at this time with turning back our clocks to standard time.

There is nothing that speaks more of Minnesota and the Great North Woods than the call of a loon on a quiet Minnesota lake at sunset.

But now we enter the "silent time" of the year as our beloved loons go South to the Gulf of Mexico.

The adults are already on the move.  Some of them already on the Gulf.

Others have made a rest stop on Lake Michigan before continuing the journey south.

But in one of the great miracles of nature, the young from this year's young loons will not begin their journey until a MONTH AFTER their parent's have left!

Having never been down to the Gulf of Mexico.  Having never seen it.  Having never known about it.  They will find their way down there all buy themselves.

YOU explain it to me!  I can't explain it.  Other than once again saying, "God, I don't know how you done it.  But you done good!"

Two weeks ago today a neighbor across the lake saw one of the juvenile loons.  He said  it was doing well and was flying.

There had been some concern because a week or so before that they said it looked like the young loon may have gotten tangled in a fisherman's line.  But there was no way to catch it to see if that was the case.

So it was good when he saw it flying and that it seemed to be doing well.

It had been a couple months since I had seen them.  For several days one of the adults and both juveniles spent most of the day out in front of my place.  Both of the juveniles seemed to be doing very well at that point.

I still do not have word on the cause of death of our male loon from the LoonCam nest last summer.  I hope that we get an update soon

I have done several loon presentations in the last couple months.  All the way from a school group of kindergartners to 4th graders and week after next to a group of seniors.  

Being with those kids gives one hope for the future.  What a great bunch of kids.  So inquisitive.  So informed.  So well behaved.

And so in love with loons.

As we enter the "silent season" of having no loons for a few months, we already look forward with anticipation to their return next spring.

In the meantime, as we enter this busy holiday season of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah and Christmas I wish you , your family, your loved ones and friends the best of everything.

God Bless!

 

Copyright 2016  Larry R Backlund