Monday, May 25, 2009 9:13pm

Some of you have commented about the loon being defensive and then off the nest in the last 20 minutes.

Just an FYI let me tell you what it was about....there was a boat with three people that was fishing in the area for about 10 or 15 minutes. A neighbor came over and told me about it.

The loon was in defensive posture and the other loon was swimming a ways away and relatively relaxed. I watched to see if I should go down to ask them to move farther away but with neither loon being over stressed, I didn't. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt and after all it is a public lake.

Another neighbor came over and we started talking out of sight of the loon and all the way up by the house. The boat finally left on their own. A few minutes after that I heard the loon wail (a good call) and looked and it was off the nest.

A few minutes later the neighbor said he thought he saw her chase something far off to the left side of the nest. Shortly after, she came back half flying, half running from left to right and settled down out from the nest. She then swam in and got up on the nest.

Now at 9:04pm she leaves the nest again fairly quickly. I don't see anything near the nest.....ooops, yodel and tremolo calls....going to go check...........

I went down to the lake and could not see anything that would disturb them. No people. No boats. No eagle. No other loons. At 9:09pm both loons are swimming together farther out in the lake. They gave about 3 calls looking to the left but I could not see ANYTHING over there. They have now calmed down but are still swimming out there.

So right now the eggs lie exposed, the loons swimming farther out in the lake and seemingly relaxed. And there is no hole in either of the eggs that I can see or any other obvious sign of hatching.

What was that all about? I don't have a clue. But apparently the loons do!

9:14pm she is back on the nest.

Monday, May 25, 2009 5:53am CDT

52 degrees    Partly Cloudy   Wind E 5 mph

The loon is off the nest!

Where is she?  Doesn't she know that she has eggs that need taking care of?!  There she is!  Swimming farther out in the lake.  Why isn't she on the nest?  Those eggs are going to cool off in the chill morning air.  What is she thinking!  There are little chicks in those eggs.  They are about ready to hatch.  What if she is off the nest too long?  What if the chicks don't make it!  Get back on the nest!  You can't be out there just swimming around when there are eggs back on the nest.  What if an eagle or a seagull or a crow comes.  They would love to eat the eggs.  And if there is a chick inside, all the better.  Get back here now.  We have watched this too long for us to lose the eggs now.  YOU have put in too much time on the nest for you just to let it go.  Don't you know that you have chicks inside those eggs?  Don't you know that they are close to hatching?  Don't fail me now!

Those are some of the normal reactions and questions of all of us when we see the loon off the nest.  Especially if it seems they are off too long.  The 'mother hen' syndrome of knowing better than the loon what she should be doing.  Of wondering if everything is going to be ok.  Be honest.  You have felt some of those same feelings when you have watched and it just seemed like the loon was off the nest too long.  And you have wondered if everything was going to be ok.

Well, once again after about 5 or 10 minutes off the nest, the loon gets back up on the nest, readjusts the eggs a couple times and settles down.  I guess I didn't need to worry....again!!!  Maybe they did know what they were doing after all. 

That is just part of the roller-coaster of feelings that I am sure many of you have experienced as you have watched this saga unfold before your very eyes.

Let's face it.  Without this webcam, we would be totally oblivious to what this pair of loons goes through minute by minute.  Hour by hour.  Day after long day.  Week by week.  But now through the wonder of technology, we can sit and watch them closer and better than we could if we were right there.  No matter if we are half way around the world!  How cool is that?

And so we worry about "our" loons.  We have gotten to know them intimately.  We have come to know some of their habits and idiosyncrasies.  We have come to care for them.  And, yes, we have come to even worry about them.

But there are thousands of others just like these two that are facing the same challenges.  But because we cannot see them, we do not think of them.

Several years ago when I first started the webcam on the nest, one of the people at LoonWatch said, "These are going to be the most famous loons in the world."  And they have become just that.  But is doesn't seem to faze them.   They haven't developed a prima donna star complex.  They just go about their ordinary lives.  But we have the privilege of watching.  What someone called "the best reality show around".

There is a slight possibility of some rain today with some scattered thunderstorms.  But most of the day should be pretty calm for the loons.  There is more chance of thunderstorms tomorrow.  But all of it something that the loons are used to and have seen many times before.  Rain they can handle.  After all, it is their natural element.  Violent wind, heavy hail or extreme heat are things that pose more of a threat to them.  But nothing like that is expected today.

Yesterday was the loons first "summer weekend" day of traffic on the lake.  While there was an increased number of boats and waterskiiers and canoes and jet skis, it was not an unusually heavy day.

But you saw it in the increased amount of time that the loon was in a defensive posture.

Some of it was from boats or people going by on the lake.  But none of them came too close to the loons.  They maintained a very respectful distance.

Some of it was from family and friends that were here for a picnic.  And I have to say that all the kids were great in their understanding of the situation.  I know they were disappointed that they could nto go swimming or just splash around in the lake.  Or even be down by the shore.  Some of them went to the park on the other side of the lake so they could swim.  And they took the canoes over to the neighbors to launch them just so they wouldn't disturb the loons.  But just the fact there there were new and strange people around was enough for the loons to go into defensive postures.

It is amazing but it seems that they really can recognize people.

Several years ago when I realized that they seemed to know and tolerate me but would lower their head when someone else was in sight, I questioned how much was just in my imagination.  But it was such a relief when the neighbors said that it seemed like the loons knew who they were.   And they did.  I have since talked to a couple of wildlife professors and they said that they think that is very well possible.

So you wonder what goes on inside that brain.  What do they see?  What do they know?  What do they "understand"?

Then there are other times when they lower their head and adopt the defensive posture when there seems to be absolutely no reason to do so.  But I have to just remind myself, that I understand so little about these great birds.  And the more I know, the more I know how little I know!

So today, we are one day closer to the hatching of the eggs.  When will it be?  I don't know.  It could be today!

But my best guess is that it will be sometime between tomorrow and Thursday.

And if anything, I would guess that it would be earlier rather than later in that time frame.

When the loon was off the nest this morning, there was no sign of any hole in the eggs or any sign that a chick was trying to make its way out.

So we can just watch and wait.  And hope!

Now the real excitement begins.  Now the suspense builds.  Now the vigil comes close to bearing results.

We can only wonder what is going on inside those two eggs.  Are there chicks?  Are they healthy?  Are they peeping inside the egg and communicating with each other and with the adult as well?  Questions, questions, questions!

And to all of you in the United States, may you have a wonderful and meaningful Memorial Day as we remember all those who have given so much!  Some who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

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

Sunday, May 24, 2009 8:59am CDT

55 degrees   Sunny   Wind E 3mph

This one is going to be short.

When I logged on early this morning to do the blog, I am not sure what was going on but it seemed like the whole site was down and I could not get in.  With a lot of people coming for Memorial Day picnic today, my time is limited...or non-existent right now.  So I apologize for this being so short.

But I did want to quickly assure you that the loons are doing ok.  It looks like it is going to be an absolutely spectacular day today with bright sunshine, no rain, temperatures in the 70s and light breezes.  I doesn't get much better than this.

Also, there is no sign of the eggs hatching yet either.  The loon is sitting solid and contented on the nest with no "twitching" that so often foretells that something is going on under her.

Hopefully the cam will be up and running soon, too, and that you can continue the adventure.  But for now, be assured that you have not missed the hatching or the chicks.

Have a Happy Memorial Day weekend!

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

Saturday, May 23, 2009 6:39am CDT

55 degrees  Partly Cloudy   Wind  North 6mph

No one knows for sure when our loon eggs are going to hatch. 

All we can be sure of is that we are one day closer to whatever is going to happen!

If everything goes well, we should see something by next Thursday, May 28th.  But I fully expect that we may see them hatch on Wednesday or even Tuesday.  Or even Monday is not outside the realm of possibility given what we have seen over the last few years.

It is once again a reminder that we are just spectators in this great adventure.  It is not us calling the shots and deciding what is going to happen and when.

Monday morning would be 25.1 days which we have seen as a possibility of the first egg hatching in the past.  Thursday would be the commonly accepted 'norm' of 28 days.  I would expect it to be between those two dates although it could be later.  If it goes later than next Saturday, then there would be cause for concern if they are going to hatch or not.

So now the suspense builds.  Now it gets interesting.  Now the guessing and the wondering really begin.  Now it pays to watch closely.

We are getting close to that amazing event of seeing a gorgeous little chick for the first time.

No matter how you prepare yourself, there is no way to fully prepare for that first glimpse of a little chick peeking out from under a wing.  It is a heart stopping moment.

This morning an 'intruder loon' flew in and landed on the same side of the lake as our loons.  That was enough to draw the loon off the nest and out of nowhere the mate also appeared.  There was some swimming around and excited diving but that was about it before the intruder decided that there "was nothing to see here" and kept moving along by flying off to the west.

Our loons had formed a phalanx of protection - one near the nest and one a little bit farther out.  They held their positions until they were sure the intruder was really gone and then one of them promptly returned to the nest to resume its guard over the precious treasure under its care.

So as they settle back onto the nest, you can settle in for the final vigil over the next few days.

A vigil that hopefully will end with two new loon chicks entering the world.

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

Friday, May 22, 2009 5:38am CDT

46 degrees   Partly Cloudy   Wind NE 3mph

The golden red of the morning dawn paints the edges of each of the ripples on the water as our loon looks around, ever vigilant for any sign of danger.

Now we are down to our last few days before the eggs should hatch.  Is the loon aware of what is going on inside the egg?

Can it sense when hatching is getting close?

Does it know?

At what point is there movement in the egg?  When does the developing chick inside start to peep?   Can the chick's eye already see?  Can it make out the difference in light level when the adult is off the egg?  Are the chicks already covered in their black down?  Almost certainly the chick's heart is beating now.   How on earth does this whole miracle of life work? 

A thousand and one questions for which we have no answers.  Questions that remind us once again of how little we really know.  Questions that remind us once again that, as smart as we think we are, we are incapable of creating life!  We can't even fully understand it let alone create it.

All we can do is stand back and observe.  And marvel at the wonder of this gift of life that has been given to us!  Some say it is just "nature".  I choose to believe that it is so much more than that!

Since many of you in the United States may very well be traveling and away from home for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, let's talk a little bit about the hatching.

As you know, the first egg was laid on April 30th and the second egg on May 2nd.  Normally accepted times of incubation for a loon would put the hatching date of that first egg on May 28th and the second egg on May 30th.

The first egg was laid at 6:21am and the second egg was laid at 5:39pm.  So given an exact 28 days, one would expect the eggs to hatch at those times of day as well.

But several things may alter those dates for both eggs.

Based on what we have seen in past years, I would expect that the eggs may very well hatch a day or two earlier than those dates.  Since we have been able to tell exactly to the minute when the eggs were laid, we can also be much more precise in the actual length of incubation.  In previous years we have consistently seen it to be less than 28 days.  In fact, it has been as short as 25.1 days.  To a certain extent this camera has helped to add new knowledge about loons.  And this year will once again add new knowledge about these wonderful birds.

So I will be so bold as to go out on a limb and say that we might see the eggs hatch as early as Wednesday or even Tuesday of next week.

Who knows what will actually happen, but I do not want you to miss the wonderful climax of this whole adventure.  There is nothing like seeing the chick peek out from under the adult loon for the first time.  To see the little black ball of down with the big eyes looking around at a whole wide world that it has never seen before.  Of being ready to explore from the very moment it observes its new domain.

There is something so special about that moment it is hard to even explain or to put into words.

That first observation of new life.  Of independent life.  Of life that was created out of 'nothingness'.  Of life that is able to move and function on its own.  The thousands of questions that we have and do not understand all wrapped up in that little downy package!

So let me give you a few signs to watch for that will tell you if we are near that magic moment of seeing a new little loon chick.

The first thing to watch for is the movement of the adult loon on the nest.

You will see her/him 'twitching' every once in a while.  The wing will jerk.  Or lift up slightly.  Or the whole body of the loon will jump ever so slightly.  It will look like the loon is sitting 'lighter' on the nest.  Slightly raised up.

This will go on for some time.  I assume it is in reaction to the little baby look pecking its way out of the egg.  In fact, did you know that loons (and birds in general) have a bump on their beak called an "egg tooth" for that very purpose?   At least I think loons have it as well.  Once again it reminds me of how little I actually know for sure.  But this egg tooth is there specifically to help the chick peck its way out of the egg shell!  And then it disappears!

But I assume that the motions of the adult loon are in response to the chick pecking its way out of the shell.  Or in response to the first peeps of the chick

In fact did you also know that chicks will actually 'peep' while they are still inside the shell?!  Scientists tell us that they think the two chicks in two separate eggs actually communicate with each other while they are still inside the shell.  Is it true?  Who knows for sure.  Yet one more question to add to our list!

I had one expert on wildlife tell me a few years ago that he thinks that the communication between the chicks in the eggs actually speeds up the development of the second chick!  How much more wonderful and marvelous does this whole miracle become the more we learn and the more we realize how little we really know?  But he felt that it actually helps to speed up the development of the second chick.

Because you see, even though the second egg was laid 2 1/2 days later than the first egg, it will probably hatch within 24 hours of the first egg hatching.

Some of that may be due to the loons delaying the start of "real" serious incubation until the second egg is laid.  But this expert felt that there is also some mechanism that actually speeds up the development of the second chick.  And he felt that the communication between the two chicks while still in the egg may play a part in it.  So one of you may want to do the research that answers that question for all of us!!!

So what does it all mean to us?  To summarize, I would expect that the eggs will actually hatch a day or two before the actual due date.  I would expect that the second egg will hatch within about 24 hours of the first egg hatching.  And I would also expect that the chicks will be off the nest and in the water within about 24 hours of hatching.  And from that point on, they will be totally water birds.

Well, how is that for putting myself FAR out on a limb with all these predictions!  Please do not saw it off!!!  lol

But I just wanted to give you a little hint of what to expect as we near this most magical time!  And what to watch for.

Once again, the first thing to watch for is the "twitching" of the adult loon on the nest. 

And shortly afterwards, watch for that first glimpse of a little baby loon peeking out from under the wing of its mother or father!

How much more wonderful does it get than that?!!?!?

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