Saturday, April 23, 2010 10:43pm

49 degrees  Some rain

Last night and today we have been receiving much needed rain.

But for the loons, rain is no problem whatsoever.  Water is their realm.

I was gone for a good share of the day so I missed a lot of the activities.  I appreciate reading through some of your entries of what has been happening.  I talked to a friend tonight who had tuned in about 3:30 this afternoon just in time to see the loons on the nest mating.  His young sons asked, "Are they doing what we think they are doing?!!"  This is nature.  Uncensored.

That would be at least the fourth time that they have mated.  This is an encouraging sign that they are more and more bonding with the nest and taking ownership of it.

When I came home just before dark, both loons were swimming a couple hundred feet off to the right of your picture.  The fact that they are spending more time in the area of the nest like that is also a sign of taking ownership of the nest and is encouraging that they will probably nest on it again.

Shortly after I saw them swimming there, they gave several tremolo calls which is normally an alarm call. It was shortly before dark and  I went down to look to see if I could see what was disturbing them.  I thought it might have been an eagle flying over.  But I did not see an eagle nor did I see anything else which should be disturbing to them.  But they obviously had seen something.  I am sure many of you heard the calls.

Someone mentioned it sounds like a beaver gnawing on the nest!

I think the sound that they are referring to is actually the squeaking of the foam which helps support the nest.  When there are waves it produces enough movement and the foam rubs making that squeaking noise.

In years past, I have known that the foam squeaked but once the nest was out in the water, it was out of sight out of mind.  When I first started to hear it over the microphone, it was so annoying.  Now it has become sort of comforting in a strange way.

But obviously it is something that does not bother the loons because it has been there every year.

I would guess that we are within a few days of laying the first egg.  But who knows?  It is impossible to predict with any certainty.

There are several things for you to watch for.

The first is nest building activity.

You already saw some of that within the first couple hours that the cam was live.  That was the FIRST of any nest building activity!  And you were able to witness it.

There will be some more of that type of activity when they are on the nest.  Moving material with their feet.  Turning.  Settling down in a different position.  Making sure it is comfortable from every direction.  Getting up.  Turning again.  Using their feet to dig a nesting depression.  Picking up material in its beak and placing it along the sides of its body.

But then one day, you will notice that the nest building becomes much more serious, purposeful and intense.  Almost as if an urgency has come over the loon.  That usually means that egg laying is getting close....possibly even within a matter of hours.

Then when the egg is about to be laid, the loon will sort of climb up on the edge of the nest.  It will spread its wings against the nest for stability.  You will see the body straining.  It is obvious at this point that the egg is moving inside the loon.

Then you will see the end of the egg appear.

And all of a sudden, the egg will just POP out!

The loon will sit there shaking and obviously exhausted for some minutes before it gets back in the water and swims away.  Usually the male will be swimming near the nest when all of this is going on and you may actually be able to see him swimming there....like an expectant father.

I remember the first time I saw an egg laid....it looked like it was made out of pure 24k GOLD!  This was literally the 'goose' that laid the GOLDEN EGG!

So there are a couple things for you to watch for in the days ahead....increased time on the nest, nest building activity, serious nest building activity, the loon up on the side of the nest with wings spread and then finally...the actual laying of the egg.

I am going to be very interested to listen with the new microphone to the sounds that the loon makes [if any] when she lays the egg.  Once again it will add so much to our knowledge about loons.

I appreciate all of you watching and sharing what you see with everyone.  With that many eyes watching, we can document so much more than with just one person trying to watch.  So thank you for that.

Every day that goes by gets more and more exciting!

Friday, April 22, 2010 7:02 pm

64 degrees  Cloudy    Chance of Rain

These loons never cease to amaze me!

The cam is now LIVE and for those of you who were lucky enough to be watching, you just saw MORE of the loons around and on the nest than at any time since they came back on March 30th!!

It was as if they knew that they had guests from all over and being the hospitable hosts that they are, they spent some time with you!!

You read in the previous entry that early this morning they were by the nest but did not try to get up on it.

Then at 8:25am they were back for 5 minutes and mated on the nest.

They were back 25 minutes later and on the nest for just a few minutes. 

I was down making an adjustment on the camera when they swam in from somewhere out on the lake as if to check out what I was doing.  So I left and they swam back out into the lake.

Then I did not see anything of them for most of the afternoon.  I wanted to put in the dock because I thought it might be the last chance I get if they get serious about nesting.

I was putting in the last section of the dock.  When I turned around both loons were sitting quietly about 30 feet away from me.  They just sat and watched me.  Not concerned.  Not upset.  Not agitated.  Just sitting watching.  So I hurried to finish the last section and within 5 minutes I was done and left to go up to the house.

They stayed in the area although out of sight of the camera for a little bit.

Then as if to announce their presence to you, they swam into view and spent about an hour and a half around and on the nest.  This is the MOST time that they have spent around the nest this year!  They did it just for YOU!  There was even another attempted mating at 6:11pm and at 6:50pm they swam back out into the lake and they are out there somewhere right now.

But one of the times when she was on the nest while you were watching, that was also more nest building activity than she has done so far.

All of these things are encouraging signs.  I think we are getting very close to them nesting and hopefully laying a couple eggs.  I would not be surprised it she gets real serious about nest building and laying eggs in the next couple days.

Special thanks to the techies for getting the camera up and running live just in time to see the most exciting events start to happen.

Hang on for the ride!! 

This is only the beginning!

Friday, April 23, 2010 6:15am

36 degrees   Clear  Calm

I was awakened at 5:30 this morning to the call of a loon over the loudspeaker!

When I got up to look, the loons were near the nest and slowly swimming away.  Now a few minutes later they are back again and just floating ever so peacefully on a lake like glass.  Just relaxing and floating near the nest.

The scene is spectacular.

The sun has just poked its head over the horizon a minute ago, there is hardly a ripple on the lake, a myriad of birds are in full song .... and our two beautiful loons quietly float within feet of the nest unconcerned.  Today promises to be another spectacular day.   Can it get much better than this?!

So far, neither one of them seems to be in any hurry to get up on the nest.

But the fact that they are floating right next to the nest shows that they are definitely beginning to call this 'home' again and taking ownership of it.  It is a very encouraging sign.

After the call early this morning, there was a little of the quiet calling that I mentioned yesterday .... a call that would not have been heard without the new microphone.  It will be interesting to see how much of this we hear in the days ahead and whether this adds new information to the body of knowledge about loons.

Even as I am writing this, one of the loons gives a short 'tremolo' type call [very short and not a typical alarm call], and the two of them begin to swim peacefully and slowly out into the lake.

I hope your day is as spectacular as the one that our loons are enjoying right now!

PS   Just after I finished writing this, I heard a splash and looked at the tv.  Unbelievably there was a muskrat getting up on the nest!  And he was starting to eat some of the iris and daylily roots of plants growing on the nest!!  A stone thrown in his direction to create a splash in the water and a clap of the hands sent him on his way....where he belongs!

Thursday, April 22, 2010 12:29pm

62 degrees   Sunny  Calm

I think you are going to love the new microphone on the nest.

A few minutes ago while I was in the house for lunch, I was startled to hear a loon call on the speaker.

I looked at the tv and there were no loons in the picture.  But when I went out with the binoculars, there were both loons swimming quite a ways away from the nest.  But their call came over clearly with the new microphone.

It is amazing the sounds you will hear.  SO many birds singing, boats out on the lake, airplanes flying over and train sounds from miles away.

I am so hoping that they will be able to get all the technical problems worked out soon so that you can see and hear what I am seeing and hearing.  The gnomes are working so hard .... it unbelievable all that it takes to make this happen and bring it to you.

But hopefully soon.....

You are going to love it.

Today is a wonderful blue-sky day that is picture perfect!  A patented Minnesota day.  These are the days that dreams are made of.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 11:23pm

38 degrees  Clear   Wind E 2mph

 

Sometimes when you least expect it, you learn something completely new that you could have never predicted.

 

This evening about 5 pm I was working down by the lake when I saw an eagle fly over.

 

As it passed over the nest, I wondered if it saw the nest and realized what it was.  Then it turned and came back over the nest as if to check it out more closely.  It never swooped down on the nest but just passed over it.  And then it kept flying back in the direction it had come.

 

I had no sooner thought "I wonder if the loons saw the eagle fly over the nest" than somewhere out in the lake came the call of a loon.  I stood and watched for a minute and sure enough - both loons were headed in toward the nest.  Had the seen the eagle?  Were they coming to defend their home?

 

I headed up to the house so that I would not disturb them if they came in.

 

As I got into the house, I took the binoculars to see where they were.  Sure enough, they were both swimming around the nest.  Between the binoculars and the picture on the tv, I watched them as they swam around.  But neither one of them tried to get up on the nest.

 

But what amazed me was something I was not at all expecting!

 

As they swam by the nest, the new microphone picked up a call from one of the loons.  It is a call that I have never heard before!  I was fascinated, dumbfounded and amazed all at the same time.

  

For about 10 minutes one of the loons made this call.  Without the microphone, I would never have heard it.  It was sort of like the "hoot" but it wasn't the hoot [we will talk about calls at some point....loons make 4 basic calls, one of which is the hoot].  It was a very quiet and gentle call.  It is hard to even describe it but it was sort of like an "oh-oooo.....oo-oo....oh-oooo".  That doesn't do it justice but that is the closest I can come to describing it.

 

I stood there transfixed, listening to the microphone and not believing my ears.

 

I have never read any detailed definitive information about this call.  It seems to me somewhere I have read about loons 'mewing' but there was never a description that was given.  Could this be 'mewing'?  And why has it never been classified or described in any of the loon calls.  Who knows, maybe when we are finally live with the cam and the new sound, you may also be able to hear this call.  And maybe someone knows what it is.  Or it is possible that through the LoonCam we will once again add to the body of knowledge about loons.

 

After swimming near the nest for about 10 minutes, they swam back out into the lake.

 

But 10 minutes later, they were swimming back in toward the nest.

 

This time one of them got up on the nest! 

 

There was no attempt by the other loon to get up on the nest nor was there any mating.  But the loon on the nest showed the first signs of nest building.  Using her feet to gradually begin to fashion a bowl in the nesting material.  This went on for about 5 or 10 minutes and then (s)he got off the nest and the two of them swam back out into the lake.

 

This is the first time this year that I have witnessed any 'nest building' behavior.  But that is a very encouraging sign that they are taking ownership of the nest and that we may have another year of watching our loons.  I also took the call when the eagle was flying over and the two loons immediately heading to the nest as a very promising territorial sign....'this is our nest, eagle!  Don't be flying over it like that!'

 

Who knows.  In all likelihood there is an egg developing deep inside the body of the female.  And she is feeling that deep urge which will determine all she does for the next several months.

 

The technical gnomes were here for several hours again tonight working on all kinds of things necessary to bring all of this to you.  All of us are so anxious to once again be online live so that you can witness all that is happening.

 

Here are some things to look for when the LoonCam is finally live.  You will see periodic visits to the nest with long periods in between of the loons no where in sight.  Then one day the loons will be back and one of them will be on the nest and much more serious about nest building.  Once we reach that stage, usually the laying of the first egg happens within short order.

 

It is as if there is some "internal urgency" to get that nest built!  Like building the baby's new room at home so that it is ready when the baby comes home from the hospital.

 

So on any number of fronts, we are getting close.  Now is the time to let all your friends and neighbors know about the LoonCam and to encourage them to watch.