Sunday, May 30, 2010 6:56am

60 degrees   High Clouds   Wind  South 2mph

High hazy clouds turn the sky to a grayish blue.

They are the forerunners of a weather front that is along the Dakota/Minnesota border that promises to bring rain this afternoon.  One forecast says 'slight' chance of precipitation and another says 'scattered' showers and thunderstorms and yet a thirds says '50%' chance of rain and thunderstorms.

So take your pick!

We need the rain so bad!  You can hear it every time the loon moves or get on and off the nest.  Everything on the nest is so dry it is crisp.  It is amazing the plants have survived at all or that the iris are actually able to bloom.

But the loons keep the eggs in the perfect environment.  A little water brought to the eggs on feathers is just enough to moisten them without cooling them too much.

The loon has just returned from a shift change and is now once again settled on the eggs.

Today should be a little cooler than the last couple days and make it a little easier for the loons.

Highs today are forecast for the mid to upper 70s.  And as I said, that chance of rain or thundershowers this afternoon.

As you saw yesterday, there was a lot of activity on the lake.  And the same is in store for today on this Memorial Day weekend .... unless it rains.  Minnesotans love their time at the lake!

It is something that loons put up with everywhere they are.  Except in the deepest of wilderness areas.

But even though they are sensitive to human presence or disturbance, they are remarkably adaptable.  This nest is a perfect example of that.  As long as humans do not approach too close to the nest, the loons go about the business of laying eggs and hatching chicks and raising the next generation of loons.

This is probably as good a time as any to say THANK YOU to everyone who makes this LoonCam possible  It would not be possible without the understanding and support of family and friends!

Later today we will have many family members gather for a Memorial Day picnic.  And as hard as it may be for them, the kids know that as long as the loons are there they cannot enjoy a day of swimming.  Or boating for the adults.  Or canoeing.  They cannot play in the lake as they usually do.  So for those of you who want to do a nest like this, consider what is involved.  You will give up the use of your lakeshore while the loons are on the nest.

And without understanding and supportive neighbors on either side who are also willing to limit their activities for a month or more in the spring, the loons would not nest successfully.  And so to all of them, on your behalf, I once again say THANK YOU!

And to Ron Schara and the wonderful Minnesota Bound staff, they have done so much to make this possible.

But the thing that makes this all worth doing and watching is what is happening under the loons right now.

New chicks!  Chicks growing and developing inside the eggs.

The normally accepted incubation period of 28 days will be up on Wednesday and Friday of this week for each of the two eggs.  I would expect them to hatch by then.

But it is not out of the realm of possibility that an egg may hatch as early as tonight or tomorrow!!!

It is also not out of the realm of possibility that they may go to 30 or 31 days.  That would mean they would not hatch until next weekend.  If they go much longer than that, there is reason for concern about whether they will hatch or not.

But let me go out on a limb....I would think that the earlier dates are more likely than the latter dates.  I think it is entirely possible that we may see an egg hatch tomorrow...or even tonight!!

But the practice of predicting what the loons will do is very risky.  So feel free to go ahead and make your own predictions.  As with everything else, it is totally out of our hands.  We simply watch.  And marvel.  And enjoy this unique look into the life of these wonderful birds!

So today, may you have a wonderful day and for those of you in the United States,  may you enjoy this Memorial Day weekend.  Now is the time to let your family and friends and kids know about what is happening here on the LoonCam.  The event that we have waited for could happen at any minute!

The sight of two little loon chicks is definitely worth the wait!!

Saturday, May 29, 2010 4:56am CDT

 

56 degrees  Clear  Calm

 

 

It is still 'officially' dark.

 

But already the eastern sky is pink.  There is enough of the  first light of dawn to easily see by.  And the 'early bird' is already telling the world that it is ready to 'get the worm'.

 

The songs of the early birds are no longer a solo but they are already swelling into the anthem of a chorus.  Announcing a glorious new day.

 

And our loon is awake and alert and looking in all directions.

 

The camera has even just awakened and has started to show the first color of morning in addition to the infra red view of the night.  The whole world seems to be coming to life.

 

And under the loon, two eggs are the definition of that new life.  Hopefully two new baby loon chicks now getting ever so close to showing that new life to the world.  Getting ready to make their debut.  Getting ready for a coming out party the likes of which no one can duplicate.

 

But it isn't time for the introductions yet.

 

Soon.  But 'finishing touches' need to be put on our little chicks.  And then they will be ready for the world to see them in all their glory.

 

So our loons continue to patiently wait.  And to carry out their part of the bargain.

 

There are fish that splash and are playing right next to the nest!  They are big enough to even rock the nest a little bit.  That gets the loon's attention and she twitches a little bit, raises her head and looks around.  They are probably only carp and no threat to the loon.  It is probably part of their spring spawn.  But for that little bit it is enough to get her attention.  She is always alert for any danger.

 

Let me explain a little about what you have seen since the camera moved slightly the other night and you now see more to the right side of the floating platform.

 

For those of you who are possibly new to the LoonCam, you are watching a pair of Common Loons (who are anything but "common", they are amazing!) nesting on a floating platform made out of pvc pipe and foam on a nest in central Minnesota in the United States.

 

The loons have made their nest out of all kinds of different plant materials that have been provided for them.  Plant materials that they would find washed up along the shores of almost any lake.  They have built it into the bowl of the nest that now cradles two olive brown loon eggs with dark or even black spots.

To the right side of the platform you can now get a little bit of a glimpse of the willow branches growing.

 

The willow branches line the right side of the platform and are about 3 or 4 feet high.  Just enough height to discourage eagles from swooping down directly on the loon or on the nest.  The willows have begun to leaf out during the time you have been watching.  They are not rooted in soil but they readily form a large mass of roots in the water under the nest.

 

The willows are probably some of what the muskrat was gnawing on when you heard the 'heavy' gnawing sounds late at night.

 

The flowers you see blooming are yellow iris.

 

They are related to the French fleur-de-lis and were chosen because the early French voyageurs, who trapped furs all throughout northern Minnesota and far into Canada, planted irises at many portages along their routes.  To this day, you can still see some of the irises growing along the lake shore at some of the portages in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness!  (Now there is a mouthful!  All of us locals simply call it the Boundary Waters.)

 

But the history and the heritage of the voyageurs is still alive on many of the routes in the Boundary Waters and the adjoining Quetico Park of Canada.  All of it is prime country for loons with thousands of wilderness lakes and travel only by canoe.

 

Many a camper has memories of waking up in his tent to a beautiful morning like this.  And memories of the haunting call of our loons that forever burns itself into our memories.  Calls that echo across a calm wilderness lake.  And then echo back from the far shore.  Up and down the length of the lake.  Memories for a lifetime!

 

You may have noticed that our loons usually face one direction...with their back somewhat to you.  Don't take it personally.  They are not being rude.  Loons normally face out onto the open expanse of the lake.  Where they can get a good view of their territory.  In fact, it seems to be one of the criteria for choosing a nest site.  Can they have a good unobstructed view of their lake.

 

It has always amazed me that if a loon were nesting on a shore, it would sit with its back to the shoreline.  After all that is where much of the major threat comes from.  The shore.

 

Threat from raccoons and skunks.  Mink and even marauding bear.

 

But they prefer to most of the time look out over their territory on the lake.  Their domain.  Their kingdom.  After all, they are birds of the water not the land.

Now they near the end of their vigil and hopefully in just a few days their eggs will hatch and they can leave the nest with two new baby loons.  Leave the 'land' which is so foreign to them.  And so hard to get around on.  And they will return to the water with their babies.  Water that is home and familiar to them.

 

They probably cannot figure out why anyone would want to be on land when it is so difficult to get around.  Why not be in the water where you have everything you need and is so much easier to get around on.

 

But for now, the carp once again play and spawn right by the nest!  And under it.  And they have the loons attention.  In the distance the geese honk.

 

And the birds continue their chorus welcoming the morning sunrise.

 

Can their be anything more majestic?  What man could create something like this even if his mind was capable of visualizing it.  I submit none could.

 

So on this Memorial Day weekend when we remember those who have gone before and given so much, we just say "Thank you!" for such a beautiful gift of a morning like this!  

 

And a loon echoes the sentiment from out on the lake!

Friday, May 28, 2010 6:30am CDT

 

53 degrees  Clear  Calm

 

 

Blue sky.  First rays of sun peeking over the horizon and hitting our loon on the nest.  Birds singing.  Wisps of fog dancing on a totally calm lake.  

 

Can there be anything more perfect?!

 

Today it is forecast to be in the mid-80s for temperature and blue sky and sunshine.  A perfect summer or spring day!

 

First of all, I just want to say "HI" to all of the students in classes all over who are watching the LoonCam!  Thank you for watching.  I hope that you are enjoying this wonderful, unique view into the life of "your" loons.  Where else in the world would you ever have the chance to do that?  Tell your teacher thank you for letting you be a part of this.  And I hope that you get a chance to see the new baby loons when the eggs hatch!  We are only a few days away from that now.  Ask your mom and dad if you can watch at home, too.

 

Thank you to all of the teachers for exposing the kids to this wonder of nature, too.

 

Every day, we get one day closer to the eggs hatching and seeing two new baby loons.

 

It was three weeks ago tonight that the second egg was laid in the midst of a snowstorm!!!

 

Can that really be true?

 

Three weeks ago it was snowing?!!  And look at the beautiful morning that we are watching now!  How quick we forget.

 

But through it all the loons have been faithful.

 

Snow and rain.  Wind and waves.  Frost on the nest and blazing hot sun.  High humidity and wonderful dry air.

 

They have seen it all.  And they have faithfully sat through it all.  Always protecting those two precious eggs underneath them.

 

And inside those eggs, if everything has gone well, are two little downy loon chicks getting ready to make their grand entrance into the world!

 

The commonly accepted incubation time for loons has always been 28 days.  That would mean that next Wednesday the first egg would hatch and one week from today the second egg would hatch.  But nature has a way of surprising us and keeping us guessing.  If we go significantly beyond those dates, I would begin to get concerned that there is something wrong.

 

However, I expect that they will hatch earlier than the 'normal' expected dates.  I think it could be as early as this holiday weekend!  But as I said, nature has a way of keeping us guessing.  So all we can do is wait.

But a couple times over the last several years we have seen eggs hatch in twenty five and one-half days!  If that happens again this year, we could see one of the eggs hatch as early as Sunday night!

 

One of the miracles of hatching is something that is called "catch up".  Even though the eggs were laid two-and-one-half days apart, I expect that they will hatch within one day of each other.  It is one of those unusual things that nobody can completely explain.  There are a lot of theories of why it happens but no one can say definitively why or how that happens.

 

But I would expect that would happen with our two eggs.  Whenever it is that you see the first egg hatch, you can probably expect the second egg to hatch within a day or so.

 

And then the bittersweet time!  Within about 24 hours of hatching, our new little chicks will leave the nest.  Never to return.  From that point on they are totally water birds.  Completely at home in their element.

 

A couple years ago we saw something very unusual when one of the eggs hatched but the second egg did not hatch.  The loons kept sitting on the second egg hoping it would hatch.  And the first little chick was able to get back up on the nest.  And for almost two weeks we were able to watch the chick as it seemed to grow before our very eyes.

 

But that is unusual.  As wonderful as it was to see, the chick and the adults needed to be in the water and getting on with their lives.  For the chick to learn to do all the 'loon things' that it needed to do in order to survive.  And as soon as the non-hatching egg was gone, the bond with the nest was broken and they all got on with their lives.

 

There is something else that you can watch for today.

 

Watch for little flies that will fly around the loon and land on its head.

 

We have seen very little of them so far.  They have been there but have not been a great problem to the loons because of the wind and the heat.

 

These flies can bother the loons as much as mosquitoes bother us!

 

But there is something so unique about these flies.  They are a type of black fly that feeds almost EXCLUSIVELY on loon blood!!  Now there is specialization!  One has to wonder how such an insect even survives.  If it does not have loon blood to feast on, what does it do?

 

This phenomenon is fairly well documented.

 

Scientists have even taken loon skins that have been in storage for many years and laid them side by side with other bird skins.  These special black flies will swarm around the loon skin, even if it is years old, and will totally ignore the skins of ducks and other birds.

 

This is yet one more amazing fact about our amazing loons!

 

Now we begin the countdown to the hatching of our baby loons.  When will it happen?  Will it be this weekend or will it be next week?

 

Many people will be heading to the lake for this long Memorial Day weekend.  And you will be out on the lake in boats and canoes and jet skis.  But when you are out on the lake, you will be able to watch for loons with a whole new understanding.  You know what a loon looks like when it is sitting on a nest.  You know what they look like when they are afraid and defensive on the nest.  And now you know to quietly move away from the nest if you get too close.

Tell your family and friends that they should stay at least 200 to 300 feet away from any loon nest and you will have very little impact on them.  And while you are having fun with your fast jet ski and your fast speedboat, be aware of loons that are sharing the lake with you.

 

If we do, we can all enjoy the call of a loon on a quiet, calm lake at sunset.  That magical call that transports us to another world.  That immediately puts us "up north"!

 

Thursday, May 27, 2010 6:25am CDT

 

52 degrees  Clear  Calm

 

In the depths of winter, these are the mornings that every Minnesotan dreams about!

 

A northern lake.  The sun coming up over the trees, reflecting off the biggest mirror that we also call a lake.  Every detail of the shoreline perfectly duplicated upside down in the surface of the water.  Fish jumping.  Birds singing.  And a loon on its nest.

 

What more could one ask for?

 

This is the kind of morning you just wish you could bottle it and keep it forever.

 

We are getting ever so close to the day when we see that chick take its first peek out from under the wing of the adult loon.  As many times as we have seen it, it never grows old.  It never fails to make the heart skip a beat.

 

It is almost impossible for a reflexive "Awwwww" to come from deep within.

 

There are no words to describe the feeling one gets when you see the little black ball of down that is a loon chick.

 

But for now, along with the loons, we wait.

 

But the wait is getting shorter.  By this time next week we should have two new baby loons.  But my feeling is that it will be sooner than that.  If I had to guess, it could be as early as Sunday or Monday.  But there is nothing we can do to speed it up.  Or slow it down.  It will happen at just the right time.  Not before.  Not after.

 

Inside the egg the chick will decide when it is the right time to begin pecking at the egg shell which has been its home.  But then begins its prison that it will do anything to escape.

 

Let me give you a few hints of what to watch for that will be signs of the egg hatching if I can.

 

You will see the adult loon sitting quietly on the nest like you have any other day.  But then all of a sudden there will be a twitch.  Barely noticeable unless you are looking for it.  But it is there.

 

Then another twitch.  And maybe a wing lifted slightly.  Or the body lift or move ever so slightly.

 

Once in a while a movement like it had been poked from beneath...because it just was.  It was poked by the beak of the hatching chick.

 

A little more movement.  Now something definitely moving under the wing.  Can it be?

 

Then the moment when words fail you.  When you get that first glimpse of the miracle that has been happening beneath the loon for the last several weeks.  The creation of life!  When you see our new loon chick for the first time.  Peering out at a world it has never seen before.  A world big and beautiful.  A world to be explored!

 

Those are moments that can never be fully described.  And they will not be forgotten.

 

As so many Americans head to the lake for the Memorial Day weekend, this is a good time for you to give some reminders to your family and friends to help our loons.  And a chance for you to share some of the new knowledge about loons that you have learned here from talking to each other.

 

With all the increased boat traffic and jet skis and fishermen, it is a critical time for loons.

 

If loons are just beginning to nest, they are very vulnerable to disturbances caused by people approaching too closely.  If it happens too often, they may just abandon the nest.

 

A good rule of thumb for you if you are out on the water and spot a nesting loon is to stay at least 200 to 300 feet away.  If you stay this far away, you will cause very little stress or disturbance to most loons.  By now you already know what signs to watch for having watched the reaction of our loons on the LoonCam.

 

If you see the loon lower its head or especially if it goes into the "hangover" position, you are too close.  Quietly back away and the loon will quickly relax.  But don't forget to bring your binoculars with you so that you can get a good view of them.

 

If you are fishing, be on the lookout for loons.  They love to nest in the same shoreline areas that we love to fish.  If you see a loon nest in that area, just decide that you will fish someplace else for now and return to that area after the loons have left.  It is a small price to pay to be able to see loons with chicks in a few weeks.

 

The other BIG thing as a fisherman that you can do  is to begin to switch to non-lead tackle.  And here I am speaking to myself as well.  We have all lost sinkers or jigs or other lead lures.  All it takes is for a loon to pick up ONE sinker off the bottom of the lake, thinking it is a stone that it needs to grind its food.  That ONE lead sinker is enough to kill a loon by lead poisoning!

 

Non-lead sinkers and jigs are becoming more readily available.  But we have a long way to go to educate people of the devastating effect of lead on our loons.

 

Above all else, enjoy your time on the lake.  But just keep in the back of your mind what you have learned about loons and about what you have seen by watching the loons 'up close and personal' on the LoonCam.  And share that knowledge with the people you with whom you are enjoying the lake.  

 

A little of your knowledge will go a long way to ensure that our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy the magic of loons for years to come!

 

So enjoy the magic today.  Wherever you are.  Whatever you are doing.  Take the time to stop and marvel at the beauty in the world that has been given to you.  And to say "Thanks!"

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 6:00am CDT

 

57 degrees  Clear  Calm

 

 

After record breaking heat and humidity the last several days, a front has come through bringing some relief to our loons.

 

The forecast for today is for sunshine, low winds and temperatures about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  Much more comfortable than what they have been having to deal with.  Many areas received good rain as the front moved through but here it was just enough to tease us.  Fortunately there were only scattered reports of any severe weather.

 

The end is now definitely in sight for the loons.

 

One wonders if they are able in any way to sense it.  It was three weeks ago today that the first egg was laid.  If we take the normally quoted incubation period of 28 days, that would mean that the first egg would hatch one week from today.  Most sources put the incubation period at 28 to 30 days, with some saying a day or two shorter.

 

However, over the last few years with the advantage of having the LoonCam, we have been able to document at least two occasions where an egg has hatched at 25.5 days.  So to a certain extent, the LoonCam has been enabling us to understand better and to even rewrite some of what we know about loons.

 

Stop to think about it.  Previously researchers were hard pressed to tell exactly when an egg was laid.  If they were lucky enough to be out in a boat observing from a distance, it was unlikely that they were lucky enough to actually see the egg laid.  And they were also hard pressed to tell exactly when the egg hatched.  With the LoonCam, we have been able to document to the minute when the egg was laid.  And we have been able to tell within a couple hours of when the chick actually hatched.  So the precision is much greater.

 

So the 'normal' incubation time would put the hatching at one week from today or later.  My guess [and understand it is only a guess] would be that it would hatch earlier than that.  In fact if I had to guess, I would guess that it could very well hatch on Memorial Day....Monday.

 

So now we wait.

 

Along with the loons, we wait.

 

But stop to think of the miracle that has been happening over the last several weeks.  If all has gone well, within those eggs under that loon that you are watching right now there is a chick!  Now having developed far enough that you could tell that it was a loon chick.  Bones and beak.  Skin and black down.  Internal organs and eyes.  The characteristic big feet of a loon.  

 

And a heart that is already beating!!!

 

What scientist could create life like this?!  None could even come close.

 

We can only stand back and marvel at the miracle of creation that we are watching.

 

If you haven't already done it, now is the time to tell your kids and your grandkids and the neighbor kids to watch.  To tell your friends and neighbors and co-workers of what is happening and let them join you in this miracle.   Now is the time when the excitement begins to build.  Who can even describe that magical moment when you first see the head of a little black ball of down peek out from underneath its mother's wing?  To see a new baby loon chick moving under the wing.  It has been known to bring a tear to more than one eye.  To be able to be such an intimate part of the wonderful web of life.

 

But alas, that time can be too fleeting.

 

For within 24 hours of hatching, the chick gets off the nest and into the water.  From that point on he is in his element that he was born for.  He is a waterbird.

 

Someone asked if the warmer weather could speed up the hatching of the chicks.  It is possible but the effects are not clearly understood.

 

The times when we have been able to document hatching at just over 25 days were during periods of cooler than normal temperatures.  There have been some that have speculated that cooler temperatures keep the loon on the nest more and therefore actually provide ideal incubation conditions that speed up the hatch.  Who knows?  There is so much that we do not know and are just learning about loons.

 

There is also something called 'egg speed up' or 'catch-up' where the second egg hatches faster than the first egg.  Even though the egg this year was laid 2 1/2 days after the first egg, it will probably hatch within a day of the first egg hatching.  It will literally 'catch up'.

While it is not well understood, scientists have documented that chicks will actually communicate with each other by peeping while they are still inside the egg!  Whether that is part of what speeds up the development of the first chick or whether it is that the first egg is not incubated as much initially is open to speculation.  So many questions yet to be answered.

 

But for today, our loons continue the long vigil.

 

Ever alert.  Always faithful.  Always there.

 

Other things can wait.  Today there are little chicks inside those eggs that need tending!