Monday, June 7, 2010 10:59pm CDT

 

I have been away from here so I apologize for not having seen anything to give you an update on what has been happening.

 

I scanned some of the chat room entries and see that people have been keeping wonderful entries of what has been happening.  But then I saw that you were getting "Ringo" again and could not see the webcam.  The same thing happened to me when I logged in now.  I have sent an email to WildEarth and MNBound about it.

 

I am able to view the cam on my tv but like you I cannot get it on my computer.  Hopefully they will have it back up and running soon.

 

Right now the loon is sitting in the same position that you have seen her sit for so many days.  If you did not know what had happened today with the egg going in the lake for a second time, you would never know that anything was different.  Nor would you know that we are close to reaching the limits for a successful egg hatch.

 

I was not able to bring the egg to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources [DNR] today but will hopefully be able to reach them tomorrow.  My thinking right now is to wait until we see what happens with the second egg.  But I will see what they would prefer to do.  I have messages in for the people that I work with at the main headquarters.

 

I cannot guarantee that they will be able to x-ray the egg like we did a couple years ago.  But I will ask them if they can.  Like everyone else around the country they are tight on their budget also.  But we will see what is possible.

 

Unfortunately a loon egg cannot be 'candled' to see what is in it because of the dark shell and the thickness of that shell.

 

But I will keep you up-to-date on whatever we do.

 

In scanning some of the observations today, I think I was not clear in something I apparently said earlier today.

 

I noticed a number of people talking about the mate having deserted the loon on the nest and being no where around.  I have not looked back to see what I said that left that false impression but it is not true.  I do not remember saying anything like that but I apologize if I misled anyone.

 

The times that I have been home today I have seen the mate several times...even swimming up by the nest and swimming with the other loon.  I think that there have probably been at least a couple nest exchanges today although I am still not able to tell one loon from the other.

 

But the mate has not deserted the other loon as far as I have been able to see today.  Now having said that, I do not feel that there has been the same dedication that we have seen in previous years.  But we will talk more about that at some point.

 

The only thing that I can think of that maybe led some people to believe that the mate had deserted is when I talked this morning about the loon leaving the nest and chasing another loon out into the lake and away from the nest.  Then shortly after s/he went back and swam by the nest, the other loon came flying in and landed near the nest and the two of them swam together.  But I am convince that both of those loons were 'our pair' that has been on the nest....not that one had abandoned the other.  Sorry for any misunderstanding.

 

Tonight was the 31st day for the second egg and it is the 33rd day for the first egg that was laid.

 

It is anybody's guess which egg ended up in the lake this morning [was that just this morning?!?!?  It already seems so long ago!].

 

[Just now there were several wail calls from out on the lake but the loon on the nest does not react to them.]

 

It could have been either the first or the second egg.  There is no way of telling.  And it could have been the same egg that was bumped out of the nest last Friday or it could be the other egg.  Once again, there is absolutely no way to know for sure which one was which.

 

As I mentioned this morning, the egg that I retrieved out of the water floating some distance from the nest had no cracks or pips or holes nor anything else that indicated that it was  ready to hatch.  I listened carefully to it for any sound or peeping.  There was none.  And I felt for any movement and there was none that could be detected.  I also felt for any warmth which would be expected if there was a chick inside just about ready to hatch.  And there was no warmth either.

 

So for however it may put your mind at ease, I do not think the egg that went in the lake this morning had a chick that was about ready to hatch.  If that is any consolation for any of us.

 

So now we wait to see what happens with the second egg.  Hopefully it will hatch.  But if it does not, my feeling is that we would give it some reasonable time beyond its expected hatching date before we would do anything.  What ever I do will be done with the advice and consultation of experts from the DNR and other places. 

 

And I will keep you up-to-date about what to expect.

 

Until then, just know that tonight the loon is still on the nest.  Still minding the remaining egg, although I have not seen the egg since I came back in because she has not gotten up and readjusted it since I started watching.

 

Hopefully soon the web feed will be up and running again and you can see first hand what is going on.  Until then, get some well deserved rest!  All of you have been amazing in your dedication to watching and documenting everything that has happened.  You are real troopers and have demonstrated your love and respect for these beautiful birds!

Monday, June 7, 2010 8:23am CDT

 

 

Things are just a little unusual.

 

The loon was off the nest again, as you have seen, and just returned now.

 

While it was off, it went out to meet a loon who was swimming toward the nest.  But it was not the mate, and as she pursued the other loon quickly paddled with its wings and went out into the middle of the lake.  So obviously it was another loon.

 

"Our" loon swam back to the nest but was in no hurry to get back up on the nest.

 

Then another loon came FLYING in and landed nearby.

 

The loon by the nest swam out to meet it and they swam together nearby.  No hurry to back to the nest.

 

Just very unusual behavior all the way around this year.

Monday, June 7, 2010 7:16am CDT

Did you ever think that you would be a part of some much drama and discussion when you first started watching the LoonCam?!?!?

Another day.  Another egg off the nest!

I know that this happens in nature.  Probably more than we will ever know.  But this is the FIRST time that I have seen an egg go off the nest with this particular nest.  Let alone TWO times!

I was able to spot the egg floating quite some distance from the nest.

So once again, it was back out in the lake to retrieve it.

As I reached it, I quickly noted that it was floating pointed end up.  I remember thinking that was unusual.

As I held it in my hand, I struggled with what was the right thing to do.

Return it to the nest yet one more time?  Or remove it from the scene and face reality.

There was absolutely no cracks in the egg.  No holes.  No sound from within.  No detectable movement.  I even carefully felt to see if I could detect any warmth from a developing chick inside.  Nothing on all counts.

So I made the difficult decision to NOT return it to the nest this time!

But as I walked with the egg in my hand, I was still torn.  I would never forgive myself if later research showed that there was a chick inside that could have survived.

But then I also told myself that if I had not seen it, it would not have survived in the water anyway.

But troubling decisions to make.

If there had been ANY sign of a chick....a crack, a hole, a pip, a peep, warmth, movement.  ANYTHING! - I would have disturbed the loon on the nest and returned the egg.  But there was NO sign of a chick.  And even as I have the egg here now, there is NO sign of anything.

I even floated it in water.  Slowly it went from floating on its side to floating small side up.  As if the egg materials slowly settled down to one side of the egg.  Certainly not what one would expect with a chick in the egg.

So after a difficult decision, I have one egg here and will be talking to the DNR today.

The other egg remains on the nest.

Monday, June 7, 2010 6:01am CDT

 

46 degrees   Clear      Wind NE 4mph

 

 

A single wail from the nest stands out from all the other bird calls.

 

There is no mistaking a loon call.  It is so different and unique from any other calls that once you hear it, you never forget it.  This is the second call in the last few minutes.   But this morning there is no answer from the mate.  So she sits on the nest and patiently waits.

The dew lays heavy on the grass.  There is almost a fall-like chill in the calm, clear air this morning.  But it is predicted to get into the mid-70s today.  This is the feel of being in the "north woods".  A morning chill and then warming to a perfect day.

 

Today is day 33 for the first egg and day 31 for the second egg.

 

There is still a possibility that both eggs might hatch.  But with each passing day, the chances of a successful hatch go down.  Last night a couple of people were convinced that they had seen movement indicating a chick was hatching.  But then haven't we all at one time or another.  We have wanted so bad to see a chick that sometimes we have convinced ourselves that something was starting to happen.

 

There are no obvious indications this morning from the loon on the nest that she has a chick underneath her.  But things have surprised us before.  So once again there is nothing we can do but wait and watch.

 

If we do not have a chick that hatches in the next couple days, then we are at the point that there probably will not be a hatch this year.  But until then we can hope.

 

We have had a successful hatch on this nest every year except the first year.

 

That first year they went almost 2 weeks beyond the expected hatching date before something took the eggs....probably an eagle.  

 

There are so many questions to be answered this year.

 

Is this really the same pair of loons or is it a different pair?  There are so many behaviors that have been different this year compared to previous years.  My mind keeps going back to the long, extended chase between two loons that I talked about early in the season.  Was that indeed a territorial chase that ended in the previous pair (or at least one of the pair) being chased off the territory?

 

Or are there other things that explain the differences this year?

 

I do not think I have ever seen as many times when both loons were off the nest at the same time nor have I seen as many times when both of them were flying while there were eggs on the nest.

 

But now is the time to remain hopeful.  There is still a chance.  

 

But it is also the time to be realistic.  We may not have a hatch this year.

 

For now, the loon continues to sit on the eggs.  Faithfully.  Patiently.  

Sunday, June 6, 2010 9:10pm

62 degrees   Partly Cloudy   Calm

 

 

I wish I could fully describe the scene right now!

 

The sun has just set thirteen minutes ago and the lower edge of every cloud is an amazing color of scarlet and magenta and purples.  And beams of gold flare up into the sky from below the horizon.  It is stunning and too much for words.

 

Some have been questioning why the loon is off the nest.  I have just come back when I read all the messages and questions so I went down to the lake to look.

 

I do not see the loons anywhere on the lake but that does not mean they are not there somewhere.

 

But then I hear 'flying tremolos' far off in the distance.  It sounds like there are two calls.

 

Apparently both loons are flying somewhere.  That is a behaviour that I have not seen in past years....for the loons to take off and fly so much when there are eggs on the nest.  I do not know the significance of it.  But it is different from what we have seen for so many previous years. 

 

It sounds like they are getting closer so they must be coming back to the lake.

 

And then there they are!  Both of them!  Two loons flying in over the trees.  They make a long sweeping curve, their wings extended and still, their feet trailing behind them and their heads held slightly below the level of their bodies.  A typical profile of a loon in flight.

 

Then in a long sliding controlled-crash landing the come to rest on the lake.

 

Where were they?  Why did they leave and fly?  Why did they leave the eggs unprotected for so long?  There is absolutely no obvious reason nor apparent threat why they would have left the nest or why they flew.  There are a couple boats and fishermen still on the lake.  But nothing close to the nest nor any other reason that I can see why they would be off the nest.

 

Once again, questions questions questions.