47 degrees Raining Wind Calm
Sunrise 6:21 am CDT Sunset 8:04 pm CDT
It is a moody rainy morning for our loons on "Loon Lake".
The sounds of the raindrops hitting the camera housing brings back so many good memories of trips to the Boundary Waters.
The sound of raindrops hitting the roof of the tent. Tucked in a warm sleeping bag on a cool wilderness morning. Loons calling out on the lake. The smell of a campfire. The smell of pine trees. Fish jumping.
Heaven on earth!
This is the perfect kind of rain that has been going all night. A slow steady soaking rain.
It will really help to green things up and is a classic "April showers bring May flowers" rain.
The crocuses are almost past their peak and the daffodils started blooming yesterday. The tulips will no doubt be close behind.
It is a beautiful time of year.
With the rain, there is not even a hint of morning light in the east yet. But it will be here in a matter of minutes, rain or no rain.
Several of the last few days have made it to 80 degrees.
But that is about to change. For the next week highs are predicted to be only in the 50s. So a dramatic change in our weather pattern.
There is even a slight chance that there may be snow flurries tomorrow night.
But the loons will take it all in stride.
Last night was a much quieter night on the lake. I think most of the seagulls must have left. Although I hear a few of them still waiting for dawn. But you can hear individual gulls rather than the cacophony of thousands.
It is interesting to realize that one year ago today we still had lots of snow on the ground from the over 18 inches we got a few days before. But there was a little bit of open water around the edge of the lake and the first loon last year came back on this date.
But two years ago today, we had over 10 inches of snow that fell. And we were over a week away from the lake opening and the loons returning.
With lakes having now opened all the way to the Canadian border, apparently most of the gulls have felt it is safe to move to territories further north.
Our loons have not visited the nest yet this morning. Nor did I expect them to do so in the dark. But they may very well do so after the first light of day.
Yesterday they visited the nest twice including a mating on the nest in the morning. Both of which are very good signs.
Watch for the visits to the nest to become more frequent.
There has not been much of any nest building activity yet. But that will come as we near the laying of the first egg. All in due time.
Both the male and the female loons share in nest building.
You will see them rearrange material on the nesting platform. They will use their legs and feet to 'dig a bowl'. They will pull nesting material around them to make everything just right.
This nest building behavior will get more urgent and more pronounced as they sense being near to the time of the first egg.
And when that first egg is laid, you will have the opportunity and privilege to see what almost no one had ever actually seen happen until the advent of the LoonCam. Certainly no one was ever able to watch it as 'close up and personal' without disturbing the loons as you are able to do.
What a privilege we have in being a part of something so magnificent.
Something researchers a generation ago could never have even imagined!
What will today bring?
The only way to know is to watch and observe.
Enjoy every minute of this special time with our loons.
Copyright 2015 Larry R Backlund