Some of you have commented about the loon being defensive and then off the nest in the last 20 minutes.
Just an FYI let me tell you what it was about....there was a boat with three people that was fishing in the area for about 10 or 15 minutes. A neighbor came over and told me about it.
The loon was in defensive posture and the other loon was swimming a ways away and relatively relaxed. I watched to see if I should go down to ask them to move farther away but with neither loon being over stressed, I didn't. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt and after all it is a public lake.
Another neighbor came over and we started talking out of sight of the loon and all the way up by the house. The boat finally left on their own. A few minutes after that I heard the loon wail (a good call) and looked and it was off the nest.
A few minutes later the neighbor said he thought he saw her chase something far off to the left side of the nest. Shortly after, she came back half flying, half running from left to right and settled down out from the nest. She then swam in and got up on the nest.
Now at 9:04pm she leaves the nest again fairly quickly. I don't see anything near the nest.....ooops, yodel and tremolo calls....going to go check...........
I went down to the lake and could not see anything that would disturb them. No people. No boats. No eagle. No other loons. At 9:09pm both loons are swimming together farther out in the lake. They gave about 3 calls looking to the left but I could not see ANYTHING over there. They have now calmed down but are still swimming out there.
So right now the eggs lie exposed, the loons swimming farther out in the lake and seemingly relaxed. And there is no hole in either of the eggs that I can see or any other obvious sign of hatching.
What was that all about? I don't have a clue. But apparently the loons do!
9:14pm she is back on the nest.