Monday, May 18, 2009 9:51pm CDT

68 degrees    Dark     Wind SE 3mph

Tonight has been one of those magnificent Minnesota twilight evenings.

That magical time of day when the sun has gone.  Technically it is night.  But there still remains a long period of twilight.  An in between time.  A restful, peaceful, relaxing time.  It is a time that people who live in the great north are familiar with in the summer.  But people at lower latitudes do not experience twilight in the same way.  In lower latitudes, it is light.  And it is dark.  With very little transition in between.

You have watched that long transition on the webcam tonight.

Even now at 10 o'clock in the evening, there is still a slight glow in the northwestern sky.  It is hard to make out any stars in that part of the sky because of the twilight glow.

The lake is like a sheet of glass.  Still as can be.  The frogs are in full song tonight.

And during this special time, somewhere out there our loon sits on the nest.  No wind.  No waves.  No cold.  No rain.  No snow.  In fact it got to 86 degrees here today!   No boats.  No eagles.  All is quiet.  Just very quiet.  And peaceful.

I am sorry that I was not able to do a blog this morning.  I have been out of town since yesterday.

I got home for just a few minutes this afternoon before I had to leave for another meeting tonight.  Just in time to hear the loons give an alarm call.  Both of them.

As I go to look to see what has alarmed them, I see two great blue herons fly almost right over the nest.  Very seldom do they alarm call over a great blue heron.  But they sure did this time.  Apparently flying right over the nest was enough to do it.  The loon on the nest never left.  But along with its mate it sure was making its concern and displeasure known.

But there was something strange.  I wish I knew what had happened to alarm the loons.  The mate qas swimming in very close to shore.  Much closer than it ever swims.  That is the area where the great blue herons usually stalk their prey.  Small fish.

Why was the loon there?  I don't know.  I would like to know.  Had there been a confrontation between the heron and the loon?  The loon would quite possibly come out on the short end of the stick in a confrontation like that.  I have never seen such a confrontation.  So once again the unknown.  Whatever it was, the loons did not like it.  But as soon as the two herons were gone, they quickly settled down to their main task - making sure that two eggs were taken care of.

But right now, in the dark, all is quiet.  And one can only assume that all is well on the northern front.

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

Sunday, May17, 2009 8:43am CDT

50 degrees    Clear and Sunny    Wind  W 5mph

Finally the loons (and all the rest of us, too) are getting a break from the wind.  It seems like it has been unusually windy for the last week or more.

But this morning there is just a slight breeze.  Just enough to make ripples on the lake.  But it was cold overnight here at the lake.  There was just a touch of frost here at the lake with the low temperature at 31 degrees!!  This is not unheard of here in the north but it feels like "it is WAY too late for frost!"

The sky is a stunning blue this morning with not a cloud in sight.

The flowering fruit trees are in bloom.  Many of the other spring flowers are in bloom.  The view is stunning.   It is just one of those mornings when all is well with the world.  And all is well with the loons.

We are now down to less than 2 weeks before the eggs should hatch and we should have 2 baby loons!

The first egg was laid on April 30th and the second egg was laid on May 2nd.

If we go by the normally accepted incubation time, that means the first egg should hatch on May 28th.  However, if past observation is any guide, I would expect that it might even be a little earlier than that.

This morning in the bright sunlight, let me point out another unique feature of the loons....their red eyes.

On the camera, it is hard to see.  But when they turn their head just the right way in the sunlight, you can see that bright red eye.

They have this coloring only during the breeding season and summer months.  Yet one more special thing that we in the north country are blessed with that most other people do not see in the loons at other times of the year.  The rest of the year the loon's eyes are brown with maybe just a tiny tinge of red.

I have never heard a definitive explanation of why a loon's eyes are red.

There are some researchers who say that it may help them see underwater to be able to catch fish easier.  Without getting into too much detail, for those of you who remember your high school physics you will remember that water filters out different wavelengths of light.  The deeper the water, the more light it filters out until finally all wavelengths of light have been filtered out and it is total darkness at great depths.

The first wavelength to be filtered out is the blue wavelength.  Guess what?!?!  That is why our lakes are blue!  That is the light you see reflected back at you.  One of the names for Minnesota is "The Land of Sky Blue Waters"!

Red is the last wavelength to be filtered out at lower depths.  And so some researchers feel that the red color of the loons eyes is related to this and to help them see better underwater.

Other researchers say not so fast.  We don't think that it is related to that but that it is related to attracting and keeping a mate.  It is almost like a mating display or mating plumage.

I don't know what the answer is.  We will just have to wait and see until researchers agree and can definitively say 'this is what the red eye means'.

In the meantime, we can just enjoy it.  And enjoy these very special birds!

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

Saturday, May 16, 2009 5:57am CDT

37 degrees Partly Cloudy Wind West 17 mph

On a very chilly and windy morning, our loons have just made their nest exchange.

The wind has been blowing all night long. As it whistled one could only imagine the loons bouncing up and down on the nest in the dark hour after hour. But they did it and once again the nest and the eggs have made it safely through the night.

So many things about loons are so much different than other birds and are so interesting.

Loons are very heavy compared to most other birds. Most birds have hollow bones. This helps them fly by making them lighter if there bones were more solid and therefore heavier.

However, a loon's bones are nearly solid. This is both good and bad for the loon.

It is good because it helps them to dive easier and deeper. With hollow bones, they would act just like a cork that would try to force them to the surface when they went under water. So it very much helps them as they try to catch fish, the main course on their diet. With hollow bones, they would constantly be struggling against a natural buoyancy which would force them to the surface. They would have to use a lot of energy just to struggle to stay underwater.

However, it makes it more difficult for them to fly because their bones are much heavier because they are almost solid. That is part of the reason that a loon has to have a long runway to become airborne. If they do not have that long runway of open water, they are trapped and they will probably die. They will not be able to become airborne.

So a loon will take off in to the wind if they are lucky enough to have a wind. And they will run across the surface of the water while they madly flap their wings. They make use of any and every advantage they can to get into the air.

Their wings are big. They have up to a 5 foot wingspan. But it is just enough to keep their heavy bodies in the air because an adult loon weigh up to 12 pounds.

Some researchers have said that if a loon loses even one or two or three flight feathers, it will be grounded because it cannot generate enough lift to get it airborne and keep it airborne. So they must be very careful not to damage their flight feathers.

Once they are in the air, they are powerful fliers but they can never relax! 

Whereas a lot of birds like eagles and hawks can soar for long periods of time without ever flapping their wings, loons must constantly flap their wings for all they are worth! They cannot soar or glide. They must flap their wings at 260 to 270 beats per minute. Try flapping your arms that fast. You probably can't even do it. But if you can, now do it for one minute and see how tired your arms are. But loons flap their wings like that hour after hour!

You can imagine how much energy that takes and that they must be in very good condition to make their migration trips of a thousand miles or more two times a year! And a loon is a fast flier! They have been clocked up to 70 miles per hour and it is thought that they may be able to fly as fast as 100 miles per hour.

So today, look closely at their wings when you get a chance....especially during the nest change. Or when they flap their wings near the nest.  And look at those wings that they do not use all that often.  But which are vital when they do need them.

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

Friday, May 15, 2009 6:58am CDT

52 degrees   Partly Cloudy   Wind SE 6mph

I apologize once again!

As I was doing a spell check on this morning's blog entry, it ATE it.  I guess I need to copy before I do spell check too.

Unfortunately, I am leaving right now and won't be back until late tonight so I probably will not be able to do another update today.  I am so sorry.  I feel terrible.

Once again it was "the best blog entry that I have ever done"!!!  lol

I had talked about a loons feet and their legs.  So if I do not get back to that subject in the next few days, remind me because it gives great insight into loons and their behaviour.

Once again I profoundly apologize.  I have tried everything I can think of to recover the file and it is apparently gone.

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

Thursday, May 14, 2009 6:23am

41 degrees   Partly Cloudy   Wind  W 20mph

On a very windy and chilly morning, the nest bounces up and down on the waves but the loon stays firmly rooted to the nest.  Underneath it are its two precious eggs.  The very reason that they have given everything.  To raise the next generation of loons.

White caps roll across the lake as clouds go scudding by overhead.

This is no time to go swimming off because the loon is tired of sitting on the nest.  If it did, the eggs would rapidly cool in the chilly morning air and wind.  And the chick inside would probably die.  Or the egg might actually roll off the nest into the cold water although the loon has carefully crafted the nest into a "bowl" that cradles the eggs.  No, now is the time to "ride it out" literally.

This is what the loon has been called to do.  This is what has driven it all spring.  This is part of what it means to be a loon.  If it thinks about anything else, it doesn't show it.  It simply faithfully sits on the eggs while the wind rages around it.

We are now at the half-way mark in the development of the eggs.  One can only imagine the wonder of what is taking place inside the shells of those two spotted olive-brown eggs.  A chick developing.  Wings and feet and beak and head.  Eyes and a heart that probably is already beating.  Wonders that are almost beyond comprehension.

All across the northern part of North America, this drama is being played out by countless thousands of loons.  Although most of them are not as far along in the nesting process as "our loons".

Our loons are at almost the southern limit of the breeding range of loons.  So they are farther ahead in their nesting and laying eggs than most other loons.   Farther south, people hardly know what loons are or how special they are.  Farther north, they are only now starting to look for nesting areas.  And farther north still, in northern parts of Canada, the ice is still covering the lakes and loons are waiting for that ice to go out before they can think about nesting.

Minnesota has by far the greatest number of loons in the lower 48 states.  Out of a total of about 30,000 loons, Minnesota has about 12,000 of them.  Next is Maine with about 4,000, Wisconsin with about 3,000, Michigan with about 1500, New York with about 1000 and New Hampshire with about 500.  All the other states (but only the northern tier of states) have populations in the low hundred range or less.

Canada has the majority of the population with upwards of half-a-million loons, most of which are in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

So it is special for us to be able to watch these loons.  Most areas of the country and the world do not have the privilege to see and hear these magnificent birds.

The loon you are watching is a Common Loon.  Its official scientific name is Gavia Immer. 

There are actually five different species of loons:

- Common Loon

- Pacific Loon

- Arctic Loon

- Yellow-billed Loon

- Red-throated Loon

The Common Loon is the one most often seen by people in North America.  The Seward Peninsula of Alaska is the only area with all five species of loons.

So as you watch the loons on the nest today, realize how special they are.  And the special privilege that we have to be able to have a window into the "life of a loon".

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