56 degrees F Partly Cloudy Wind Calm
Sunrise 5:36 am CDT Sunset 8:44 pm CDT
All of us are VERY puzzled.
The sky has turned a strange color today - BLUE!
And there is some kind of a big bright yellow light in the sky. Like a big hot torch.
I don't think we have ever seen anything like it before. Or if we have, we have long since forgotten what it is!
It is wonderful.
Today the clouds have started to break up. The sky is blue in between broken clouds. And we have had almost no rain today.
It seems like forever since we have had a day like this.
And it has also been a good respite for our loons as they have had a mostly quiet and uneventful day. Apart from one apparent eagle flyover tonight.
The male on the nest let out a frightening couple of calls. And he was on VERY high alert. But he didn't leave the nest.
Right now there are an amazing number of night hawks flying over and around the nest.
I don't think I have ever seen that many at one time before.
It is amazing to watch them as they swoop and turn and dive and glide. All of it so effortlessly.
I assume that they are after mayflies that have been hatching for the last several days.
Normally they appear just as it is getting dark and they fly all night long. But they have already been out and about for an hour or more.
Some of them were even flying this afternoon which I had never seen. I guess those must be a "different species" - "afternoon hawks"!!
I watched the loon as they swooped close to him on the nest. But it did not seem to bother him at all. But then he never lets much of anything bother him. Except eagles!
Let us hope for an uneventful and restful night for our loons with no incidents or excitement.
We are now at roughly the midway point of the development of the eggs. A very crucial time.
I would expect them to hatch in 2 weeks. Or maybe even a couple days less than 2 weeks.
And while we waited with anticipation for the first egg. And then held our breath as the loons sat on the eggs and were sometimes pulled off the nest by one threat or another.
But nothing compares to seeing the first telltale signs that one of the eggs may be hatching.
And then the sheer "AWWWHHHHH" moment when we catch our first glimpse of that active little black ball of down that is so unbelievably cute and beautiful.
There are no words to adequately describe that moment.
So join in the vigil.
And invite everyone you know to join you in this wonderful experience.
Copyright 2017 Larry R Backlund