Thursday, June 6, 2019 6:05 pm CDT

84 degrees F Sunny Wind Calm

Sunrise 5:25 am CDT Sunset 8:57 pm CDT

15 hours 32 minutes of daylight

Today has been a spectacular summer day! SIMON has really delivered after a long, chilly May.

Although the bright sun has been a little hard on our loons as they sit on the nest. It got above 90 degrees here at Loon Lake, although I don’t think it felt like it. The humidity has not been high. So it has been tolerable for us.

But for the loons sitting on the nest, it has been very warm.

They have been doing a lot of panting today and going into the water more often to cool off.

When they go in the water, that gives us a chance to check the condition of the eggs.

A number of people watching have said that they have seen a definite pip. And some have said they have seen the movement of the chick’s bill as it breaks through the eggshell.

We could very well be seeing the first stages of hatching!

Although I have to admit that I have not seen anything that I personally can say is definitive. But I have missed a number of the views of the eggs that other people have seen. And some of them are very experienced LoonCam watchers so they know what they are talking about.

There was one time today that I saw what very much looked like it could be movement of the chick breaking through the shell. But I kept asking myself if it was shadows or my eyes playing tricks or because I WANTED it to be the real thing!

But some have said that they definitely saw a pip!

The one thing that has been missing for me is seeing the ‘twitches’ and ‘flinches’ of the loon on the nest as it feels the chick moving it and poking it from below as it tries to make its way out of the egg. But in the earliest stages they may not feel some of that. And from the first pip it can take 24 hours for the hatch to be complete. The chick will work ever so hard, and then have to rest for a while.

So we wait and watch and hope. And we can’t take our eyes away from what we are seeing.

Both of the chicks should be either fully grown or ever so close to it. It is Day 26 this afternoon for the 1st egg and Day 23 early this morning for the 2nd egg. So if the eggs were fertile, we are either AT or oh so very close to the hatch happening!

Now I don’t want to be negative in any way, shape or form, but it is important that we are also realistic about the possibility of “IF”. We will know very soon.

But let us think the best. That BOTH eggs are fertile. That there is magic and a miracle happening inside each of those eggs! And that we have two beautiful and healthy little loon chicks that are ready to make their big debut into this amazing world that they will enter.

A world that they will make even MORE amazing by their presence!

Copyright 2019 Larry R Backlund

Wednesday, June 5, 2019 5:40 am CDT

58 degrees F Mostly Cloudy Wind Calm

Sunrise 5:26 am CDT Sunset 8:57 pm CDT

15 hours 31 minutes of daylight

It is a beautiful morning on Loon Lake.

The sun woke up just a few minutes ago and is shining on our loon. It appears that the male loon has taken the night shift again and has been on the nest since last night. Shift change may take place any time now.

While the sky is mostly cloudy this morning, there is enough clear sky along the eastern horizon to allow that waking morning sun to paint the nest with its warming rays.

We were very fortunate yesterday afternoon and evening to not have any severe storms here. There was a lot of thunder at times and a fair amount of rain again. But no severe weather here. Not even any wind to speak of.

Other parts of the state were not so lucky. It was the first outbreak of severe weather here in Minnesota this year. A cooler than normal month of May kept the severe weather away from here. Even though we got a lot of rain in the last month.

There were several tornado touchdowns and damage to farms and buildings yesterday. And there were a number of places that got ‘ping pong sized’ hail. Isn’t it interesting that hail always gets compared to something else?!

Ping pong ball. Nickel sized. Quarter sized. Baseball. Softball.

But our loons did not have to contend with any of that yesterday.

They had a relatively easy time of it.

Both of the loons have settled in to a real routine of sitting on the nest. And have been very faithful in doing so. What has been a little different is that they seem to be taking longer shifts than I have seen most years.

Right now it appears that it is the male on the nest. If there was not a nest change during the night that I missed, that means that he has been on the nest since 9 o’clock last night. Almost 9 hours already.

There is a VERY slight chance that the first egg could hatch today. I don’t think it will. But it is a good time for us to talk about what to watch for. Signs that may signal we have a hatch underway.

The actual hatching can go on for some hours. Upwards of 24 hours sometimes.

What you will want to watch for are subtle signs and movements from the loon on the nest.

You may see a wing twitch now and then. At first it can be very minor and almost unnoticeable. But then it gets more pronounced as the chick becomes more active in trying to free itself from the egg. The egg that has both protected and nurtured it as it grew and developed. But now becomes its ‘prison’ that it wants to escape.

The chick will first make a hole in the blunt end of the egg. It is called a ‘pip’.

While the chick has been able to breathe inside the egg in the air pocket that is there, this pip now allows it to get ‘fresh air’.

The chick has a sharp point on its bill that is called an ‘egg tooth’. I have felt that egg tooth on a loon chick and it is really surprisingly sharp. The chick uses that egg tooth to cut through the tough egg shell that has been protecting it.

It is these movements by the chick that cause the adult loon’s wings to twitch or flinch once in a while.

It is VERY hard work for the chick to try to free itself from the egg. So it will be active for a while and then may rest for a number of minutes or even an hour. And then it will resume trying to free itself from the egg.

After it has made the pip or hole in the blunt end of the egg, the chick will do what has become known as “pip and zip”. It will actually cut through the egg shell all the way around. Like ‘unzipping’ the egg shell.

This is when you will see the most subtle twitching or flinching from the adult loon.

Once the chick is actually coming out of the egg shell, this is when you may see the adult loon slightly raise its body.

As the movement of the chick becomes more pronounced, you may see the adult loon partially raise its body slightly more and more.

Then you will see movement under the adult loon’s wings as the chick begins to move around. And the adult loon will slightly raise its wings.

And then comes the moment that we have all been waiting for!

That unbelievable moment when we first get a glimpse of our beautiful loon chick peeking out from under that adult loon’s wing!

The moment that makes the waiting and anticipation all worth it.

But unfortunately, the time that we get to see these wonderfully cute little chicks is all too brief.

The second chick will usually hatch within about a day of the first chick hatching. The chicks are called “precocious” since they are able to swim almost immediately after hatching.

And then within a day or two, the chicks are in the water and they leave the nest.

Eager and ready to begin their new life as a loon.

So tell Grandma and the grandkids and every one you know that now is the time to start watching if they have not been doing so already.

The excitement is about to begin!

Copyright 2019 Larry R Backlund

Tuesday, June 4, 2019 3:45 pm CDT

72 degrees F Raining Wind S 4 mph

Sunrise 5:26 am CDT Sunset 8:56 pm CDT

As I am writing this, there is a light rain.

There is a lot of loud thunder off to the west of Loon Lake.

There are potentially severe thunderstorms scattered across a wide area of the state. Much of the state is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. So let’s hope that things stay quiet and peaceful here for our loons.

Rain, even fairly heavy rain, poses no problem for them. Severe storms and wind and hail, not so much.

With all the rain we have gotten over the last month, the lake has come up over 10 inches. But with modifications made to the nest several years ago, there is no danger of the nest going underwater. That is one of the big dangers with ‘natural nests’. When the water rises, there is always a danger of the nest flooding and being lost.

We are on our final countdown to hopefully a successful hatching of our beloved loons.

There is a slim possibility that hatching could be as early as tomorrow or Thursday. But I do NOT expect that to happen. I think it is more likely that it will be this coming Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

But all of that is out of our control. So all we can do is wait and watch. And guess and hope!

And we can only guess and imagine what is happening inside the egg right now.

If the eggs are fertile and developing, the growth of the chick is almost complete! Can it be possible that there has been such a profound and miraculous change inside those eggs in such a short amount of time.

Now we sit back and wait for the first glimpse of those impossibly cute little balls of black down that are known as newly hatched loon chicks!

If your kids and grandkids neighbor kids have not been watching so far, now is the time to encourage them to log in to the LoonCam and watch this miracle of nature. Or if the kids are still in school, encourage their teacher to let them watch the LoonCam. It is sometimes so hard to remember internet addresses. So I often tell people that if you just Google “Larry’s Loons” or “Larry’s Loon Cam”, it will bring you right here to the Minnesota Bound site and the LoonCam. Along with SO much other information about loons.

Especially at this time of hatching, once again I am reduced to not having the words or feelings to describe what is happening.

So I often say, “OK, God. I don’t know how you done that! But you done GOOD!”

So sit back and enjoy the view.

And like the ketchup commercial says …. A N T I C I P A T I O N!!!!!!

Copyright 2019 Larry R Backlund

Saturday, June 1, 2019 6:20 pm CDT

69 degrees F Sunny Wind NNW 11 mph

Sunrise 5:27 am CDT Sunset 8:53 pm CDT

Today has been another wonderful Minnesota day. A SIMON day if you will.

A high of 75 degrees, sunshine, no humidity and gentle winds. In fact, today a long sleeved shirt felt good. The last two days it got to 90 degrees and 92 degrees. But even those days felt wonderful since there was low humidity. I think Minnesotans do better with winter weather than they do with oppressive summer humidity.

I have often said, “When it gets cold, you can always put ON more clothes. When it gets hot and humid, no matter what YOUR limit is, there is a limit to how much you can take off!”

And so today with the breeze and the cooler but still warm temperatures, it was also an easier day on our loons. Cooler and a breeze to blow away some of the black flies.

Last night we had some heavy thunderstorms and rain and lightning. Those of you who were watching after midnight saw the flashes of light that were so bright that they at times turned off the infrared sensors on the camera. The first couple times the screen went black I held my breath wondering if we had been struck by lightning.

But each time all was well and the picture returned after a few seconds.

Our male loon took it all in stride.

At some of the heaviest rain and lightning and thunder, he actually stuck his beak under his wing and SLEPT!

I have heard that is the definition of “peace”. Not only surviving the storm. But being able to sleep in the midst of the storm.

The clock ticks relentlessly. It was 3 weeks ago this afternoon that the first egg was laid. Can it really be that long ago? Where has that time gone?

I fully expect that by one week from today we may very well have a beautiful little loon chick - maybe TWO!

Right now inside that egg, the small intestines are being drawn into the body of the loon chick. And it is fully covered by feathers/down. What just 3 weeks ago was the egg yolk and white of your morning breakfast is now a little loon chick almost fully developed with a beating heart!

How do we even comprehend such a miracle and such wonder?

Share it with your kids and grandkids. It will be gone all too soon.

Encourage them to watch the LoonCam with you.

And watch the wonder in their young eyes!

Copyright 2019 Larry R Backlund

Thursday, May 30, 2019 9:44 pm CDT

66 degrees F CDT Hazy Smoke Wind Calm

Sunrise 5:28 am CDT Sunset 8:52 pm CDT

15 hours 23 minutes of daylight

Today was a very nice and warm day. There was a feeling of summer finally. Thank you, SIMON!

It was up in the 80s here at Loon Lake today and will be that or even warmer tomorrow.

But the sky was a little hazy because of smoke from forest fires up in Canada.

With the warmer weather came a lot more traffic and activity on the lake. Numbers of young people, who apparently are already done with school, were enjoying their time on the lake. Having fun. Relaxing. Skiing. Swimming. Fishing.

And our loons took it in stride.

This pair of loons has settled into a routine a little bit different than some I have seen. But then I guess every case in different.

This pair seems to be very faithful in their commitment to the nest and the eggs. And they are good about sharing the nesting duties. But while most times I have seen pairs of loon do shift changes every few hours, this pair seems to have settled into longer shifts. Upwards of 12 hours or more at times.

But they are getting the job done.

Now we can only wonder what is going on inside those eggs!

We are at 19 days and 17 days for the incubation of the two eggs. So we are entering the home stretch.

I took some research from the University of Illinois for chicken eggs and transposed it and made allowances for the longer incubation period for loons to come up with a good idea of what is going on inside our eggs right now.

If the eggs are viable, the hearts of the little loon chicks have already been beating for over two weeks! Feathers began forming last week. And early this week the loon chick’s beak began to harden. Within the last few days the toes became fully formed.

And right about now the loon chick is turning its head toward the blunt end of the egg!

SO much going on. All of it hidden from our view. But all of it MIRACULOUS!

And the development only speeds up from here!

Can it be that in just a little more than a week we should see our first look at little loon chicks? The end result of the miracle that has been going on.

But that glimpse is SOOOO fleeting as the loon chicks jump into the water in the first day or two after hatching. And then they are gone. Water birds. In the element that God designed them for.

So get ready to watch closely. You do not want to miss this magical event that is ever so brief!

Copyright 2019 Larry R Backlund