Monday, May 4, 2009 8:07am CDT

 

48 degrees   High Clouds   Calm

 

On this calm cool spring morning, everything seems to be well with the loons.

But while we have been sleeping last night, they have been awake and ever vigilant in watching over the nest and their precious cargo of two eggs.

They have invested a great deal of time and energy in these eggs. The eggs are large and it takes a lot of food and energy just to produce them. Unlike many birds whose chicks are naked and helpless when they are born, a loon chick is able to get in the water and swim within a few hours after it is born. To produce a chick that is that far developed takes a lot of energy that is put into the egg.

So if the egg is lost, it can be a devastating blow to the loons. They can potentially lay another pair of eggs if they lose the first nest, but then it becomes a question if there is enough time for the chick to mature and fledge and be ready to fly south before winter weather sets in this fall.

So the loons will do everything they can to protect these eggs and to make sure the chicks hatch.

While you were sleeping, they were vigilant. While you are at work, they are vigilant. When they are out of your sight and mind, they still have to be vigilant.

This is a never ending quest for them. For the next 4 weeks, they will take care of the eggs. But it doesn't stop there.

For the next 3 months after the eggs hatch, they will still need to be vigilant to protect the chicks from harm.

And through the loon cam, you become an 'up close and personal' observer of all they have to contend with.

Whether it be heat or cold. Or black flies which are tormenting the loon this morning. Or eagles and seagulls from above. Wind and waves pose their own threat. Boats and people going by can scare the loon off the nest and expose the eggs. Expose them to too much cold which can kill the developing chick inside. Or expose them to  too much heat from a bright sun which can do the same damage as cold does. Or boats can cause big waves which can literally destroy a nest and wash the eggs out of the nest.  Or people or animals or birds can scare them off the nest just one too many times, until they abandon the nest.

I don't mean to sound too negative....but I just want to remind us that the loons face many challenges minute by minute, day by day. Whether we are watching or not, THEY have to remain faithful and vigilant.

Yesterday I mentioned the black flies which feed exclusively on loon blood.  That is something that after all these years still amazes me - that there are flies that are that specialized!   Diana posted an interesting article from research that had been done way back in the '60s about these black flies which you may find very interesting. You can find it at http://books.google.com/books?id=qVey8htEYS4C&pg=PA209&lpg=PA209&dq=loon++black+flies&source=bl&ots=pEryo7_yqM&sig=evrq7_4ytJpQsBLcpSscQVK9YLI&hl=en&ei=-vb9SaboOoWEtwfe9N2iDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#PPA209,M1   Thank you, Diana.  Research since this has confirmed and expanded upon this early research.  So this is just one of the many challenges that the loons face.

And so for the next 4 weeks, the loons will be faithful in trying to make sure they raise a new generation of little loons.  And we have the privilege to be a part of it.

A privilege that includes the wonder hope and joys.  But be prepared.  It can become addictive!   It also includes the concern and worry and even panic and sadness if something happens.  Some of you have already experienced some of those feelings, either this year or in previous years.  But the joy of seeing that little black ball of down that is a loon chick on the nest makes up for everything that has preceded it.  The view of that chick riding on it parent's back makes it all worthwhile.

So sit back.  Relax.  Get another cup of coffee or tea.  Or a cup of hot chocolate.  And enjoy the ride over the next few weeks as you watch our beautiful loons.  A ride that promises ups and downs.  And thrills and spills.  But hopefully at the end of the ride, there are two little healthy loon chicks!

 

Comments or Questions or Observations?  Post them here or in the Chat Room or send them to LoonCam@yahoo.com

 

Sunday, May 3, 2009 2:10pm CDT

 

64 degrees  Partly Cloudy   Wind  NW9mph

 

It is a beautiful spring day in Minnesota.  A slight breeze.  Bright blue sky.  High puffy clouds.  Summer type of clouds.

Our loons now have two eggs on the nest!  With each day that passes, they will get more and more serious about not leaving the nest.  It almost seems as if they know what is ahead and right now they are taking every opportunity to be off the nest and in the water for a few minutes.  The amount of time off the nest  is more than I am even used to seeing but, as of yet, I do not think there is any reason for concern.

With the dates that the eggs were laid, I would say that we should see chicks hatching somewhere around May 28 give or take a couple days.  Assuming that everything goes well and there are no catastrophes in between.  We have somewhat rewritten what is known about loons through this camera on the nest.  The common wisdom is that the incubation period is 28 days.  However, we have documented it to be as low as 25.1 days.  So let's see what this year brings.  YOU can be the research scientists along with all the rest of us!

Some of you have commented about the loon rubbing its head on its back and wondering what that is all about.  Or shaking its head.  You may have seen it looking like it was "snapping" at something in the air.  Well, it WAS snapping at something in the air.  The real sharp eyed ones of you have noticed that there are bugs sitting on the loons head.  If you look closely you can see them at times.

They are a species of black fly. 

And they can torment loons.  That  may also be part of the reason for the loons leaving the nest.  To dive in the water where they can get some temporary relief from these flies.

But these are not ordinary flies!  This is yet another  one of the absolutely fascinating things about loons.  Scientists tell us that they are a species of black fly that feeds EXCLUSIVELY on loon blood!  And you thought your doctor put you on a restrictive diet!!!!!

I still find it hard to believe that it is true.  But there is more and more scientific research that seems to verify that.  Now there is some trivia for around the office water cooler tomorrow!  "Did you know.....!!!"

So blood-sucking black flies - LOONblood-sucking black flies - is just one more thing that the loons have to overcome in their mission to raise a new generation of little loons.

You also  may have noticed the loons sitting with their mouth open and wondered if they were calling or what that was about.

Sometimes loons do call while they are on the nest, but most of the time they are silent while they are sitting on the nest.  I imagine it is partly to keep from drawing attention to the location of the nest.

The open beak posture is one of the ways loons control their body temperature....by breathing in and out more.  You will see that behavior increase on hot days or even very sunny days.  With their black plumage, they absorb a lot of heat from the sun.  Add that to the fact that they are normally swimming in cool water - or even ice cold water - they are used to being able to keep their bodies cool.  But sitting on the nest out of the water, their body heat tends to build up and by opening their beaks and breathing deeper, they are able to get rid of some of the excess body heat.

There is one other behavior that I have never been able to figure out and have never seen any research or explanation of it.  If you know the explanation, I would love to hear it.  The loon will look like it is almost holding its breath.  I am not sure if they are or not but it looks like it.  And then all of a sudden, they will open their beak and breathe deeply and heavily for a while - almost like they are panting.  Why?  I have no idea.  Help me out and help me understand it if you know.  There is so much to learn about these wonderful birds!

So I hope that it is beautiful where you are.  And that you get a chance to get out and enjoy the wonder of God's creation.  That is what I am going to do right now!

 

Comments or Questions or Observations?  Post them here, in the Chat Room or send them to LoonCam@yahoo.com.  I will not be able to answer everyone, but I DO read everyone and try to respond here in the blog if several have the same question.

Saturday, May 2, 2009 12 am Midnight

 

I hope that all of you enjoy the surprise this morning of waking up to the new format player for the loon cam.  From what I have first seen of it, I think it is wonderful and the best we have had so far.

A BIG thank you to Travis and Tony and the great folks at KARE11 TV!!!

You can enjoy watching the loons today even more!

It is supposed to be a spectacular Minnesota spring weekend.  Enjoy it and watch the loons enjoy it.

Friday, May 1, 2009 6:03am

 

43 degrees     Partly Cloudy     Wind  W 6mph

On a chilly spring morning in Minnesota, one loon sits peacefully on the nest while its mate swims nearby.  The first rays of the sun start to gild the edges of the nest.

For 24 hours now, there has been an egg in the nest.  Now the question is, when will the second egg arrive.  Unless we see it being laid, we can only wait until the loon either leaves the nest or gets up to rearrange the eggs.  I would guess that there is still only one egg but that is only a guess at this point.

I know a number of you were concerned yesterday about the amount of time the loon(s) were off the nest and what that would do to the egg.  I don't think it should cause a problem for several reasons.

Early in the life of the egg, it can be exposed most of the time without much damage.  Even to the point of a number of days.  But once the chick inside has started to develop, it becomes more and more sensitive to getting cold.

If you have ever raised chickens, you will know that a chicken will lay a number of eggs in her nest over a period of many days.  But she does not sit on them all the time - that is, until she has the "right number of eggs", whatever that number is.   At that point, she starts to get serious about sitting on the nest and incubating them and will seldom leave.  On the farm, we used to call that chicken a "setting hen", "sitting hen" or a "clucker"!  I guess the latter name came from the fact that the chicken used to make a clucking sound that was somewhat unique to a chicken incubating eggs.

It is much the same with loons.  They are probably more serious about sitting on the egg right from the beginning.  But they are able to be off it more at this stage than they are later.  And when the second egg arrives, they will be even more serious about staying on the nest.  Unless they are frightened off by something or someone.

Some of you already noticed that the loon would lower its head once in a while and wondered what that was all about.  Very observant!

That is indeed a defensive posture.

If disturbed, a loon will lower its head, apparently to be less conspicuous on the nest.  The more it is disturbed or concerned, the lower its head will be.  All the way to the point where it will actually lay its head flat on the nest.  From a distance, a casual observer would not even know that there is a loon on the nest.  If the loon becomes even more disturbed, it will leave the nest.

What can cause that disturbance?  It could be an eagle overhead.  Or a person nearby.  Or a boat.  They could see a dog.  Or even if they hear a dog nearby they may go into that defensive posture.  Any number of things could cause that reaction.  

So if you are out in the wild and you see a loon on the nest with its head down very low, you may have gotten too close to it and it is concerned that you are there.  Simply back away and very soon you will see the head come back up.  And the loon will relax.

Sometimes we almost love loons too much.  They are so special that we want to be near them and see them up close.

A good rule of thumb for you is to stay at least 300 feet away from a loon or especially a loon on a nest.  Usually they will not be disturbed if you do that.  Closer than that and you will probably see them start to go into that defensive posture.  As I mentioned to you, when the loons are on the nest, we do not go out on the dock or out in a boat and we try to minimize that amount of activity near the lake.  The lawn has to be mowed and other things need to be taken care of, but we try to keep it all to a minimum to give the loons every chance to hatch their eggs.

So on this gorgeous spring day, enjoy watching our wonderful loons!  And remind yourself how good and amazing life is!