Wednesday, May 13, 2009 6:20am

54 degrees    Raining    Wind  S17mph

On a rainy morning, our loons sit faithfully on a nest with 2 eggs.

They are already halfway through the incubation period.  What changes are taking place inside those eggs so faithfully tucked underneath the loon?  So carefully kept warm and protected.  Are there really two little chicks well along in their development?

One can only hope about the wonderful changes that are taking place, away from our ability to see.

And what do the next two weeks hold for our loons?  That is also unknown.  Challenges that it is probably better that we do not know.  We would worry too much.  So it is better to just take one day at a time.

Yesterday the loons had a number of guests.  Guests that they did not remember sending out invitations to have them come and visit.

First another pair of loons came to visit yesterday morning.  This caused enough concern that both loons went out to keep them at a distance from the nest.  After a lot of excited swimming and diving, the intruding loons finally left.  Fortunately there was no fight.

Then about midday, an immature bald eagle decided it was time for a visit.  He was fishing in the area and he flew directly over the nest several times.  His presence was enough for the loon to bolt off the nest, swim some distance underwater only to surface away from the nest and start calling.  That was also enough to bring the other loon in from someplace else on the lake.

Both of them called excitedly as they watched the eagle overhead.

Meanwhile, there were others that did not like the eagle flying around in their territory either.  Crows and blackbirds were bombarding the eagle as he flew looking for fish.  A crow would dive and snap at the eagle and he would wheel and dive to get away from the crow or blackbird.  And the blackbirds hated that the crow was in the area almost as much as they hated the eagle being there.  So the blackbirds were also dive bombing the crows.  And all of them calling.  Apparently all of them in different languages telling the eagle that no one invited him to be there.

The eagle was no small thing to confront, even though he was immature.  He was fully the size of an adult eagle.  He just did not have his adult plumage yet.  That striking white head and tail that immediately tells you this is a bald eagle.

It was a tale worthy of the World War II battles of Snoopy and the Bloody Red Baron!

But after a few minutes, the eagle moved on and everything returned to somewhat normal.  At least what could pass as normal on a very windy day.  The loon returned to the nest, faithfully turned the eggs and settled down for the long haul.  The crows returned to their nest.  The blackbirds to their nests.  And except for the wind, things were quiet.

But quiet is something that never seems to last for long.  At least for the loons.

Soon it was time to be off the nest again.  And calling.

This time it was an adult eagle that was flying in the area.  The crows apparently also got the call and came flying out over the lake from the surrounding woods.  Once again, Snoopy was dive bombing the Red Baron!

Then last night, just as some heavy rain showers moved across the lake about 8 pm, something once again drew the loon off the nest and brought the mate from out in the lake.  Both loons were calling excitedly.  Both were using the tremolo call, which as I told you is an alarm call.  And the male was also using his yodel call which is an extreme territorial call.  They were both facing the same direction, off to the east.  But it was raining so hard I did not want to go down to the lake to see who or what was upsetting them.

I assume from the calls and the reaction that there was another loon or loons that they saw.  But I am not sure of that.

Even as I write the blog this morning, the loon has once again left the nest to help its mate protect the nest from another intruding loon.  This time a single loon, not a pair.  And so once again, there is a lot of excited diving and swimming and some calling.  But so far, no big fight.

Ahhhh, the start of just another day in the life of our treasured loons.  Things that would be so far out of our view and understanding without the LoonCam!  But now have given us new insights and pleasure and a new sense of wonder.  And new understanding and concerns.

What will today bring?  We can only watch and wait.

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

Tuesday, May 12, 2009 5:51am CDT

52 degrees     Partly Cloudy     Wind S6mph

On a calm lake, a loon sits on its eggs. Ever watchful for any sign of danger. But for now everything seems to be ok.

If danger approached, the loon would probably leave the nest and start calling.

Loons have four basic calls that they use to communicate.

I usually refer to them as two "good calls" and two "bad calls".

The two "good calls" are the wail and the hoot. The "bad calls" are the tremolo and the yodel. Why do I call them good calls and bad calls? The wail and the hoot are calls that loons use to communicate with each other when everything is ok. However, the tremolo and the yodel are alarm calls and are used when the loons is concerned or upset.

The wail is one of the calls that many of us have heard echoing across the lake at twilight. That haunting call that echoes from one end of the lake to the other. And then is answered by a loon across the lake.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/sounds/loonwail.wav

It is the loon's way of saying to another loon, "Hi. I am here. Where are you?"

The hoot is a call that most people never hear. It is a quiet call that loons use to communicate to their chicks or to each other when they are close together.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/sounds/loonhoot.wav

The tremolo is sometimes called the crazy laughing call. It is an alarm call. It means the loon does not like something that is going on. Something has happened to upset it. There is danger in the area. The loon is saying I am not happy with what is going on right now. When one loon makes the tremolo call, another loon will many times answer from some other part of the lake. And if they are mates, the mate will usually swim towards the other loon immediately. Especially if they have eggs or chicks. The tremolo call is made by both males and females.

It is also sometimes made while the loon is flying and in that case it does not necessarily an alarm call. Some researchers feel that a loon uses that call while flying to see if another loon answers from the lake below. And if the loon is searching for territory, it knows that there is a loon on that lake and it is taken.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/sounds/loontremolo.wav

The yodel is the most extreme of the alarm calls and is made only by the male loon. It says to everyone around, "This is MY territory. Stay away. Do come near. I will fight you to defend my territory." It is used by the male under the great stress.

It is sometimes accompanied by splashing and the loon half flying and half walking on the water toward whatever has upset it. Or it may trigger a behavior called the "penguin dance" or "water walking" where the loons paddles its feet quickly and rises up out of the water. Almost standing straight up and down with its beak pressed against its breast. When it does this, it looks a lot like a penguin, hence the name "penguin dance".

People have seen this dance if they have gotten too close to a nest or loon chicks and have thought, "How cool is that! The loon came right up to us and showed off for me." No, the loon wasn't showing off for you or wanting you to feel good. It was saying, "You are really scaring me. You are way too close to my nest or my chicks. I want to show you how big and tough I am and I want you to get out of here right now!" It is usually accompanied by a lot of splashing and excited diving.

If you back away, they will quickly settle down and relax. If it is in response to another loon, it may very well be the prelude to a fight.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/sounds/loonyodel.wav

So now that you know how to speak "loon", each of the calls will have much more meaning for you when you hear them.  Without even seeing the loon, you have a very good idea of what is happening by simply hearing the call.   I have to admit I enjoyed all of the calls more before I knew what they actually meant! Especially the tremolo and the yodel. Now even though I still enjoy the calls, when they make one of the alarm calls I realize that the loon is upset about something and will look to see if I can see what is upsetting them.

But by simply knowing what these four calls are and what the loon is saying when it uses them, you will have a whole new understanding of what is going on.

I have mentioned before that some of you have thought that the loon was calling when you saw its beak open while it was on the nest. This is not the case and the open beak is simply an "air conditioning" system for the loon to cool down. Most of the time loons are very silent when the are on the nest or even close to the nest.

Even when an eagle flies over - a sure thing to upset a loon - it will usually leave the nest and only call when it comes up some distance from the nest.

So now at the office water cooler this morning, you can speak "loon" with your friends! (And lose all your other friends!!! lol)

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

Monday, May 11, 2009 6:52am CDT

34 degrees Clear and Sunny Wind Calm

Once again this morning, our loon sits quietly on the nest. Ever faithful in keeping the eggs warm during the cold overnight hours. Even though it is above freezing right now according to the thermometer, it did fall to 31 degrees overnight and there is still frost - or more appropriately frozen dew - on the car.

But the first rays of the morning sun have hit the nest and the loon and will help to warm things up.

Today temperatures should return to more normal for this time of year in Minnesota with highs in the upper 60's. The loons made it through a relatively light fishing opener here (what with the cool weather and winds) and today promises to be a fairly quiet Monday with most people back at work. But you (and the loons) can never be sure what each day will bring.

This year I have noticed more defensive posturing (with the head down) than in past years. Or at least it seems like there has been more of it. This morning there have already been a goose that swam fairly close to the nest and a duck. The loon went into the "I'm hiding" posture until they passed and then was sitting back up again.

But there have been many times that I have seen them in this defensive posture and when I went to look could see absolutely no reason for it. But obviously THEY have a reason and we can only guess.

This morning there is another pair of loons on the lake. So that may be adding to the concern this morning. The male (or at least the loon not on the nest) has gone out to meet them and set up sort of a "blocking move" as if to say "This close and no closer!".

There has not been a fight that I have seen this morning but there will be if they try to approach the nest.

A couple of you have commented and asked about other loons on the lake. Normally we have had only this pair of loons on the lake that have stayed. But several of us around the lake have spotted up to 3 other loons on the lake at times in addition to "our pair" of loons. Are they some loons trying to set up their own territory or are they loons just passing through on their way farther north? I don't know. Only time will tell.

I have wondered if some of the loons that have stopped have been our chicks from previous years. Because the commonly accepted wisdom is that the young loons will not only return north after 3 years but they will RETURN TO THE SAME LAKE THEY WERE BORN ON! Once again one of those wonderful miracles about loons. So it is possible that these are the young from 3 years ago. There is no way to know for sure. Or they could be other loons just be passing through or other loons trying to set up their own territory.

If it is other loons setting up their own territory, we can be assured that there will be fights between them and our loons. We have already seen a couple fights this spring. Let's hope that it doesn't happen because our loons need every bit of strength that they have to raise their chicks. But it is only something that we can watch and wait.

I mentioned in another blog entry that loons main weapon is their long and very sharp beak. They are very effective at using it in a fight. There have been cases know where one loon has killed another loon with that sharp beak in a fight. It is known as a "sternum stab".

One loon will come up under another loon underwater and literally stab them in the breast (or the sternum) with that very long sharp beak.

During a fight you will often see when one loon dives, the other loon will dive as well or at least put its head under water. This is to try to prevent thenselves from being stabbed in the breast by the other loon.

I think I saw it actually happen a couple years ago. Our loons were fighting with another loon when all of a sudden the loon on top of the water literally jumped straight up out of the water. And then the other loon surfaced right by him. Fortunately the "jumping loon" was ok and left the area right away. But I think I had just observed a "sternum stab".

Some of you will remember me telling you a couple years ago about a loon rescue I did. The loon had somehow ended up in a very small pond. Too small to take off from. We are not sure how he ended up there  but he may have been forced down by a severe storm that had gone through the area. But if he was not rescued, he would die.

During the rescue, when he saw he could not get away from me, he came at me. All the time stabbing at me with that sharp beak. I was able to capture him and release him on a nearby lake. As we were transporting him, I became acutely aware that if he ever got that beak loose he would immediately go for my  face or my eyes!  I was surprised at how vulnerable I felt.  And he was doing everything he could do to get loose from me.  They are amazingly strong birds.   Fortunately I was able to do it without either one of us being injured!

So let's watch today to see what new challenges and adventures our loons face.

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

Sunday, May 10, 2009 6:44am

39 degrees     Clear    Wind NW 10

This morning, we are right on the edge of the clouds.  To the south, the sky is completely clear, not a cloud in sight.  To the north, almost completely cloudy.  So we will see which way they move.  The forecast is for skies to clear as the day progresses and for the temperatures to be in the cool 60s for this Mother's Day.

And on the loon nest, a mother loon anxiously awaits the arrival of two new baby loons.

The loons are well into the routine now.  They have already been on the nest for over a week and have almost three weeks more to go.

One can only imagine what is happening inside the eggs.  The miracle that converts simple egg yolk and egg white into an adorable baby loon that is able to breathe and see and move and swim and "speak".  There is no other word for that other than miracle.  The miracle of life itself.

One can only wonder, too, exactly what goes through a loon's mind.  How much do they comprehend.  How much do they understand.  It is obvious that there is so much that it is there.  But how much of it is simply "instinct" (whatever that is) and how much is "thought" (also, whatever that is) and how much is "understanding (ALSO, whatever that is!).  So much of what they do, we do not have a clue how they do it.  And all of that is another miracle.

Yesterday was a relatively uneventful day for the loons.  The weather was very cool and cloudy.  And because of the wind it felt downright cold.  So that helped to keep the number of fishermen and other activity on the lake at a lower level.  And none of them came near the nest, if they were even aware of the nest.  There was one kayaker who caused the loon to go low into its defensive "I am hiding" posture.  But the kayaker turned and went the other way when she had seen the loon.  Fortunately, the loon never left the nest.

Today we will see what happens with fishermen and other boat traffic.

I have yet to see anyone who has been purposely malicious.  There have been a number of people through the years who have been too curious or have loved loons too much and approached too closely.  But I have not seen anyone who has purposely done anything to harm the loons. 

But especially as we approach the summer season and the weather continues to warm, the activity on the lake will pick up.  There is a general rule of thumb that you can use or pass along to anyone you know who is out on a lake with loons.  Especially if you know where the nest is.

Stay at least 200 to 300 feet away from them and they will be perfectly ok.  Closer than that and you may scare them off the nest.  Being scared off the nest one time probably is not going to hurt anything.  But if it happens when you are there.  And then the next person.  And then the next person.  And then the next person.  Well, you can see the obvious.

Loons are surprisingly adaptive.  We associate them with the great wildernesses of the north.  But as the pair you are watching right now have proved for years, they can and do adapt to a lot of people being around.  As long as we "do not love them too much" and try to get too close to the nest.  Or get too close to them on the water when they have babies swimming with them.

So just give them their "space" and you and your grandchildren can enjoy them for many years to come!

And we all can enjoy that wonderful, mournful sound of a loon calling in the morning mist.  Or at twilight.

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

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