54 degrees Heavy Rain Wind Calm
Lightning. Thunder. Heavy rain.
Like the proverbial water off a duck's back, she lets it roll.
Just another spring morning for the loon on the nest.
Fortunately so far there has been no severe wind or hail. Rain she can deal with. Hail and severe wind could be another matter if it comes. Even the wind has to be pretty bad before she would leave the nest.
So while we are off doing other things, the loons are there. Faithfully. For 28 solid days. Come what may.
The eggs are not something that can be forgotten only to come back to them later. In whatever way they can, whatever goes through the 'mind' they have, they know they have no greater responsibility than to nurture and protect those eggs every minute of the day.
It is not a responsibility that they take lightly.
We still have at least one other pair of loons on the lake. So that continues to produce the periodic confrontations and 'yodel matches'. I have been told that this other pair of loons has actually nested, although I have not personally seen the nest.
The danger in a situation like this is that if the loons can see each other, the possibility exists that they both may be pulled off the nest for these confrontations. And that puts the eggs at risk.
I hope that both nests -'our' nest and the other nest - are successful. But the existence of another pair of loons nearby raises the risk.
I am pretty well convinced that is what happened last year and why the eggs did not hatch.
Some of you will remember the incident on a very cold frosty morning the eggs were left exposed to the cold morning air and frost for about 40 minutes as both loons were lured across the lake to confront another pair of loons. And apparently the exposure of the eggs to the cold for that long was enough to harm them and neither egg hatched.
We can only hope that something like that does not happen this year. But it is a reminder once again of the fine edge between success and failure for nesting loons.
But for right now, let the lightning flash. Let the thunder roll. Let the rain come down.
Our loon sits ever faithful on her precious charge of two eggs! Safe, warm and dry under her protective body.
Questions or Comments? LoonCam@yahoo.com