Saturday, May 9, 2009 5:56am CDT

37 degrees     A few high clouds     Wind  NW 13mph

A few minutes before the sun peeks over the trees surrounding the lake finds our loon hunkered down on the nest, faithfully having protected the eggs from the chill overnight air.

The floating nest gently bounces on what Minnesotans would call "walleye chop" on a day like today.

For you see "a day like today" is almost a state holiday.  In Minnesota, it is what is called "The Fishing Opener".  Or "Opening Day".  It is a day when literally hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans and people from all over head to the lakes to go fishing.  At midnight last night, it became legal to take walleye and northern pike and some of the other gamefish for which Minnesota is so well known. 

In fact, the state's governor and his wife were planning to be out fishing at 3:30am this morning!  And they are joined by so many thousands of others for this annual rite of spring.

For the loons, it means increased boat traffic on the lake today.  Really the first day of spring that boats will be out in numbers.  So we will see what the day will bring for our loons.  Fortunately, many of the fishermen head farther north on the opener.  But even for our loons, they will see more boats than what they had seen so far this spring.

Increased numbers of boats brings two dangers for the loons.  One is curiosity or obliviousness.  The other is wakes.

Since almost everyone in Minnesota loves loons, if boaters spot the loon on the nest the natural reaction is to want to see the loon closer.  And by getting too close, they can scare the loon off the nest.  If they stay in the area, the loon may refuse to get back up on the nest and the cool morning air may chill the eggs too much for them to survive.  Or the fishermen may be totally oblivious to the loon on the nest and approach too close with exactly the same results.

The second danger is large wakes from passing boats.  If the wake is very large, it can literally wash up and over the nest possibly destroying it and washing the eggs out of the nest.  However, the loon will try to stay on the nest and prevent that from happening.  But it is one of the many dangers our loons face.

Since it is "The Opener", let's talk about the loon's diet.

Loons feed almost exclusively on fish.  They may supplement their diet with a few aquatic insects but by far the bulk of their diet is small fish.

When fishing is not good, there are a few fishermen through the years that have blamed loons.  They have blamed them for eating too many fish.

However, studies have been done which largely disprove that hypothesis.  That loons have a deleterious effect on fish populations.

Now that is not to say that loons do not eat a lot of fish!  They do.  However, they tend to eat minnows and smaller fish when there is an overabundance of a certain species.  The case could be made that loons help to cull species that are overabundant and thereby make for a healthier population.

But for some fishermen, the controversy will continue.

An adult loon will eat up to two pounds of fish a day!  Some have calculated that during the course of a season, a pair of loons with two chicks will eat up to a half ton to a ton of fish.  That is a lot of fish.  While most of the fish will be very small, loons have been known to catch and swallow fish that weigh over half a pound.  That would be a largemouth bass that is almost a foot long!  There have been rare instances documented where a loon has tried to swallow a fish that is too large and has actually choked to death.  Fortunately that is VERY rare.

But a loon is made to eat fish.  One of the requirements for any lake to have a pair of nesting loons is that it have an abundance of fish to eat and that the water is very clear so that they can see to catch their prey.  In that way, loons are one of the "indicator species".  If the water in a lake gets too polluted and murky, the loons cannot see to fish and will simply move on to other lakes.  Fortunately for us, the lake that our loons are on has very good water clarity.  And an abundance of small fish.

Today is forecast to be cooler than average with highs only in the 50's.  But our loons are doing well.  And with not too many boats on the lake, hopefully today will be a good and an uneventful day for them as they struggle to hatch two new loon chicks.

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

Friday, May 8, 2009 5:38am CDT

39 degrees     Clear Sky       Calm

First light brings a view of a loon patiently sitting on the nest and protecting its eggs in the cool morning air.

The sun hasn't even peeked over the horizon yet, but in a few minutes its warming rays will begin to also warm this loon and stir all other life into action.  Not that the loon needs warming.  They are very well protected against the cold by its feathers.  After all it is no problem for it to swim in waters that still have ice in them.  And as it dives to great depths in search of food, it dives below the thermocline, that invisible boundary between cold water and warmer water, into very cold water.

So even this morning in the cool air, our loon still once in a while breathes with an open beak which allows it to get rid of excess body heat.  When it does this, some of you may think that it is calling.  It is simply regulating its body temperature.

Loons seldom call while they are on the nest.  Most of the time they are silent.  At some point, we do want to put a microphone on the nest so that you can hear all the sounds.  The wind.  The waves.  Maybe even bugs flying by.  Or boats going by.  Or people.  Or the myriad of sounds that make up so much of our world.  But only very rarely would you hear the loon calling from the nest.

I am not sure why they remain so silent while on the nest but I can believe that part of it may be so that they do not alert predators to their location.

This nest is very much out in the open.  There is no cover over it.  And that is true of most  "natural" nests as well.  They are open to the sky and very visible to predators from overhead.  Eagles are the big threat.  And loons and eagles obviously have a very long history together.  Because loons hate eagles!  And an eagle is one of the few predators that will actually be able to kill an adult loon

(Right now the loon is reared up on its legs and once again turning and adjusting the eggs...the action that you have seen so many times.  Somewhere out on the lake, its mate fishes and swims.)

You will remember a couple years ago I told you about an eagle specifically targeting the loon on the nest.  The eagle dove towards the loon.  The frightened loon bolted off the nest and dove underwater.  When it came up, the eagle once again swooped down at it.  So it dove under water again.  The eagle circled overhead, watching for the loon.  When it came up, the eagle once again dove at the loon which immediately dove under water to escape.  This game of cat and mouse continued all the way across the lake.

And it was during this time that the loon was frightened off the nest that 3 huge waves swept over the nest and filled it with ice cold water.  I thought for sure that we had lost both eggs.  But miraculously, one of the eggs survived and a healthy chick was born a couple weeks later and grew up to fly south in the fall.  But the other egg did not make it.

When we x-rayed the egg, the x-ray showed a chick inside that had started to develop.  But by its size, we could tell that the chick inside the egg had stopped developing probably exactly at a time that would fit with the cold water filling the nest.  It was more than the chick inside could take.

And so loons have a long history with eagles.

At the very sight of an eagle, they will begin their alarm call.  And they will often leave the nest at the first sight of an eagle.

There have been times when I have been outside working and have heard the loons calling excitedly and I have wondered what is bothering them.  I have gone to look to see if a boat has gotten too close to the nest.  Or if something else has upset them.  On several occasions, I cannot see anything that should be bothering them.  No boats.  No people.  No eagles flying overhead.  And then I have spotted it.

A small black dot circling high in the sky.  So high up you  can hardly make out what it is.  But sure enough, it is an eagle circling overhead.

And even though it is so high you can hardly see it, the loon has seen it.  The loon has identified it as an eagle.  And the loon has identified it as a threat and is calling one of its alarm calls.  There are almost no other birds to which a loon will react in the same way.

A great blue heron (which is huge and comparable in size to an eagle) will fly over and the loon hardly notices.  An osprey, which is related to an eagle,  will fly over and the loon hardly gives it a second look.  But let an eagle fly over, and the loon goes wild and becomes very concerned for its safety and the safety of its eggs.

It is a conundrum when there is a contest between loons and eagles.  Because both of them are protected species.  The eagle being our national symbol.  And the loon being the Minnesota state bird!  But I have to admit....while I like both of them and they both are beautiful and majestic, I am partial to the loon.  That probably does not surprise you.

So now as the first golden rays of the sun are hitting the nest and our loon, enjoy watching them today.  The day is forecast to be a wonderful spring day.  However, there is the possibility of thunderstorms later this afternoon or evening.  When a bad storm comes through, there is always concern for what the wind and the waves and hail might do.  So let's watch and see what today brings for our wonderful loons.

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

Thursday, May 7, 2009 7:12am CDT

Unfortunately, this morning's blog entry  from an hour ago somehow got "eaten" by the great internet!  And also unfortunately, I do not have time to rewrite all of it before I must be on the road for a meeting out of town.  (I must say that it was probably the BEST blog entry that I have ever written!  lol)

So I apologize.

I will try to write something tonight.  But for now suffice it to say that the loons are doing well.  It is a spectacular spring morning on the lake with bright blue skies and sunshine and no wind.

A perfect day for our loons.

Once again I apologize that the blog disappeared into space someplace between "here" and "there".

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

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 6:16am CDT

48 degrees    Clear    Calm

Somewhere on a northern lake in Minnesota, two loons await what has driven them all spring - the hatching of their two eggs.

This is why they have flown a thousand miles north from the Gulf of Mexico. This is why they have returned to the same lake they have occupied for so many years. This is why they have staked out their territory. And made it plain to all others that this belongs to THEM! This is why they have built their nest.

Now they have two eggs in their care and it is what their whole year revolves around.

The first rays of the sun once again turn the cattails and weeds of their nest to shades of gold. Golden highlights reflect off the loon. And once in a while as the loon turns its head, when the light is just right, you can see its blood-red eyes.

One sits faithfully on the nest while its mate is not far away, just a little farther out in the lake diving in the never-ending quest for fish. Wisps of fog and a slight haze hover over a lake that is absolutely still this morning and reflects everything like a mirror.

It is one of those mornings where you wish you could bottle it and savor it over and over and over.

Right now, all is well with the world. No wind to contend with. No predators. No rain or snow or hail. Just a relaxing morning on the nest.

Not that the loon ever feels like it can relax, for its head is constantly turning and looking and observing. Always aware of what is around it. Always watching for danger. Always concerned about the eggs.

They have laid two relatively large eggs. The eggs are a greenish brown with dark spots. Since they usually build their nest out of whatever is available to them on shore, often just weeds and other material that has washed up or even dirt, this coloring blends in with the nest and helps to disguise the eggs. Usually their nest is open to the view from the sky and this also helps protect the eggs from marauding gulls or eagles who might otherwise spot them from above.

Each egg is about 3 to 3.5 inches long and about 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter and weighs about 5 or 6 ounces. They are about half again as big as a tennis ball. The norm is for them to lay two eggs. But once in a while they may lay only one or rarely three.

And now everything they do is focused on hatching those two eggs.

Some of you have seen and commented on the "white spots/rings" on the eggs and wondered if the eggs were cracked or what that was. It now appears that it was simply nesting materials stuck to the eggs. But let's continue to watch andobserve duringthose brief glimpses that we get of the eggs.

As we have already talked about, the average incubation period for a loon egg is 28 days. Most researchers will place it at anywhere from 26 to 30 days. However, from the use of this LoonCam in past years, we have documented hatching in as little as 25.1 days. So this year, be a loon researcher and see how many days it takes the eggs to hatch. From your wonderful observations of the cam, we know exactly when they were laid, down to the minute. When will they hatch?

If you missed seeing the eggs laid, someone by the name of EmtyBelfry captured it on video and has been kind enough to give me permission to give you the video of the actually laying of the first egg. What a miraculous thing to watch! Now YOU are one of the few people in the world who has ever seen a wild loon actually laying its egg! Thank you EmtyBelfry!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0m5cqIOq0o&feature=related

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

Tuesday, May 5, 2009 6:42am CDT

52 degrees   Cloudy, Mist off and on       Wind  S6mph

On a quiet, misty morning, one loon is settled on the eggs while the other loon swims out in the lake and fishes.  They are now in a routine of sitting day after day for the next several weeks.  Rain is predicted off and on throughout the morning.  This doesn't affect the loons.  They are used to water.  That is where they live.  What would affect them is severe weather or high winds.  And none of that is predicted for today.

But this time of year, severe weather can develop unexpectedly.  So the loons are ever vigilant for any kind of danger.  I have seen them on the nest in other years in high winds and waves and even being pelted by hail.  They remained tightly 'glued' to the nest.  Had they not, the eggs would have been destroyed or washed away. 

As we have talked about, the male and the female share nesting duties almost equally.  You have watched as one will get off the nest and the mate will then get on the nest.  (S)he will then carefully turn the eggs with its bill before it settles down on them.  It will rock back and forth to get them just right.  Usually it takes one or two tries before it is fully satisfied that it has the eggs in exactly the right place.  Then it can settle down for the 'long haul'.

Next time you see this ritual, watch how they rock to get the eggs in just the right place to transfer warmth from its body to the egg.  And then as the last step of the routine, it tucks its wingtips tightly around its body.  And on a cold or windy day, it actually locks the wingtips in place with its tail.  Now it has a perfect tightly-sealed warm cocoon around the precious eggs.

Some of you have asked how you tell the male apart from the female.

It is almost impossible to do.  Male and female loons outwardly are almost identical.  The male is usually just a little larger.  But unless they are actually side by side, it is hard to see that difference.  Even loon biologists have trouble telling the male from the female unless the loons are right next to each other.  The male has a slightly bulkier build which you may be able to notice especially in the neck.  But it is hard to tell one from the other.

A number of you have also commented or wondered if the eggs are damaged or broken because you have seen white spots on them or even a white ring around the end of one of the eggs.

Here is a case where living near the nest is of no help.  Through binoculars or even a telescope, I cannot see the eggs at all.  The best view of the eggs is the one that you are seeing on the camera.  I have looked closely on several nest changes and I have seen what you have seen.  In fact, early on I saw a white spot on both eggs and wondered if it was a difference in coloring or if it was simply something white which was stuck to the egg.  But there is not much of anything that is white on the nest so that made it strange.

Then yesterday, there was a very distinct 'ring' of white around one of the eggs.  I tried to look closely and it looked like the structure of the shell was intact.  The egg did not appear to be broken in any way.  So it had to be something ON the egg....either in the coloring of the shell or something stuck to the egg.  I do not know what it is.  Today the pattern seems to be different which would argue that it is just something stuck to the egg.

Some have wondered if it is "loon poop".  It may be but I don't think so.  Loons keep the nest very clean and I have never seen signs where they have defecated in the nest.

So we keep up the "what's that white on the eggs" watch!

Yesterday, some of you may have watched as a Canada goose flew in and landed literally inches away from the nest in a big splash of water!  I have never seen that happen before where a goose has landed so close to the nest that it actually splashed water on the platform.  A second goose was swimming nearby and they seemed to be showing interest in the platform.  But the loon never moved and the geese finally left.  This morning a single goose swam around the nest and seemed to be interested in it.  The loon went into its defensive posture of having its head low.  And soon the goose went swimming off and the loon once again relaxed and raised its head.  We have had very little competition through the years between geese and the loons and for the most part they seem to tolerate each other.

Today, may I suggest that if you know servicemen and women overseas, think about sending them the link to the LoonCam as a 'touch of home'?

Last summer I spent a good share of the summer in England directing a CS Lewis Conference at Oxford and Cambridge.  When I would get back to the room late at night, I would log on and briefly look at a couple webcams looking out over a couple lakes in northern Minnnesota  (it was after the chicks had left our loon nest and the LoonCam was shut down for the year).  I remember how comforting and important that was to me to "reconnect" to home by seeing those lakes.

So brighten the day of one of our wonderful servicemen by giving them the link to the LoonCam.  Help them 'reconnect to home'.

Questions, Comments or Observations?  Share them here or in the chat room with each other.  Or send them to LoonCam@yahoo.com