Tuesday, June 15, 2010 12:01am CDT

WOW!

Who could have predicted all that has happened in the last hour!

Absolute silence for the longest time.  And then wails and tremolos and yodels like I have not heard in a long time!

My heart sank when it started.

But then I realized it could not be in response to the egg being gone!  They didn't even KNOW it was gone!

As I listened, it was apparent that half of the calls were coming from a quarter of the way around the lake.  There was another pair of loons over there.  And they were the ones that started the first wail call.  I thought it had been the mate.  But then the wails and tremolos and yodels came from near the nest as well!  From TWO loons!  "Our" loons.  

And the answers came back from across the lake.  Wail for wail.  Tremolo for tremolo.  Yodel for yodel!

FOUR loons calling in the middle of the night!  Staking out territory.

Could all the calling be just a coincidence?  And odd, unbelievable coincidence that happened so close to the taking of the egg?

As now an hour has passed, I think the calling WAS a coincidence.

For the loon eventually came back to the nest.  Settled down as if there were a "ghost" egg.  Tried to even turn it.  Again and again.  Each time settling back down, feet doing their normal shuffle, and the rear end wiggle!  Exactly what we have seen a thousand times before!  Unbelievable.

And then off the nest again and some more calling to the other loons.

But now in a slight rain, the loon is sitting there as if nothing ever happened.

I think she HAS to know that something is different.  But I don't think she knows what yet.  I don't think she can see much better in the dark than I can.  And I know something is different here!  With the egg laying next to me on the desk, there is the unmistakable 'natural gas' odor...the odor of a rotten egg. Not overpowering.   Slight but very distinctive.  And very telling.

More tremolos from across the lake.  But she sits unconcerned for now.

I still can't believe that that was a coincidence with all the calling shortly after the egg was taken!  But there is no other logical explanation for it.  I think it was pure coincidence.  One could not write a screenplay with that in it and still have it be believable.  But we all saw it.  And heard it.  And know that it was real.  That it was unscripted.

I think in the morning in daylight, she will realize that indeed the egg is gone.

I would expect that they will return to the nest a few times and sit for a little bit.

And the times in between will grow longer.  Until they indeed are free of the nest.

But we will leave the camera on for a few days so that you can watch as much as you can of her on the nest now.  And catch the glimpses of them as they periodically return to the nest.  Until the are gone.  After a few days we will probably shut the cam down and bring this season to a close.

But what an AMAZING hour this has been!

I have to admit that it went as good as could be expected.  MY heart sank as the calling started until I realized it was in response to the other pair of loons and NOT to the egg being taken.  Now I feel better.  I was devastated for a few minutes though.

So we wait for the loons to write the next chapter.

We are merely chroniclers!  

[PS  I may be up most the night chronicling what is happening with this amazing turn of events!  I, like many of you, cannot tear myself away.  And I have already filled PAGES of notes in my field manual of what has been happening!]

Monday, June 14, 2010 11:09pm CDT

OK that was not a pleasant trip out to the nest.

Everything went fine and as planned.  I was a little surprised that the loon was off the nest when I got out there.  I kept waiting to hear the splash of her going in the water.  And I never heard it.  She was already off the nest!

I could vaguely see her swimming some distance out from the nest.  Totally silent.  No calls.  No alarm.  No diving.  No splashing.

I quickly made my way back up to shore with the nest while I felt it for any cracks or pips.  There were none.  I held it to my ear to listen for any sounds.  There were none.

But I noticed a natural gas or propane smell!!  It took a second for it to register.  And then it did!!

What do they always say about a gas leak!  It will smell like rotten eggs!  They put a chemical in the gas that smells like rotten eggs to help people know if there is a gas leak.

And it was then I realized that while I was holding the egg to my ear to listen for any sounds, I was SMELLING the egg.  I put it up to my nose.  There it was!  Faint but definite.  The slight smell of a rotten egg.

When I got to shore, I used the flashlight to examine the egg more carefully.

It is a beautiful egg!

But there are absolutely no marks or cracks or holes that would in any way indicate a chick.  Our suspicions had been right.  This egg would not have hatched.  I could even feel it cool slightly in my hand as I walked up to the house.  Cradling it.  Handling it like it was a valuable as pure gold and as fragile as thin crystal.

Once again as I am typing this, I can smell the faint 'natural gas' odor.

But then it started. 

With two wails.  Then tremolos.  Then yodels!

Just what I did not want to happen!

How could they know!  They had not even been to the nest to see that the egg was gone!

I went back outside to listen.  There was one pair of loons near the nest.  And there was another pair of loons calling from partway around the lake.

They were reacting to another pair of loons in the area, NOT to the egg being gone.

Coincidence?  Possible.

In fact, I think MORE 'coincidence' than anything because they still do not know that the egg is gone.  I am sure that a 'predator' [ME!] scaring the loon off the nest contributed to it.  But it seemed to be more the other pair of loons that started calling and then 'our loons' answered!

I know some are probably thinking right now that the loons are expressing loss over the egg.  We have to be careful about putting human emotions on them.  They still do not know the egg is gone.  It will be interesting to see how long it takes them to come back to the nest.  Or if they do.

I have to believe that they will come back to the nest.

But then it will be interesting to see what their reaction will be.

A few raindrops fall.  Is it too much to believe they are 'tears'?

Monday, June 14, 2010 9:41pm CDT

 

62 degrees  Light Mist   Wind  East 3mph

 

 

And so the clock winds down!

 

In another hour I will make the trip down to the lake and out to the nest to remove the remaining egg.

 

I just read through a number of the chat room posts and I think we all have exactly the same feelings.  As much as intellectually we know it is the right thing to do to let the loons go 'free' for the rest of the summer, the heart tugs and aches.  For a different outcome.  For ANY outcome that produced chicks.  But this year it is not to be!  For who knows what reason.  Or possibly many reasons all coming together.

 

A number of people have told me that 'their loons' have not hatched either nor have a number of other waterfowl.  So we can only guess why.  But at the same time, others are saying that they are seeing loons with chicks on their lakes.  So maybe there is not anything happening other than what is normal.

 

In a way we have gotten spoiled by the success of this particular nest.  Of it producing chicks every year.  And so we take it for granted that we have a right to see two new chicks each year.  But things are not that simple.

 

In fact, in life very few things are that simple.  And this is just a fresh reminder of that.

 

Thank you all for your wonderful words of support and your thoughtfulness.  And to those of you who disagree, some vehemently, I certainly understand where you are coming from and what you are feeling.  I am feeling a lot of the same feelings as are all of us.

 

Thank you also for your concerns for my safety.  I appreciate it very much!  But between you and me, that is very low on the list of my biggest concerns.  But thank you!!

 

 

Monday, June 14, 2010 7:04am CDT

57 degrees  Cloudy   Wind NNE 4mph

Egg #1   Day 40          Egg #2   Day 38

On a cool, cloudy morning, our loon continues to sit faithfully on the remaining egg.

I don't see the other loon right now.  But a boat with two fishermen sits anchored against the light wind out from the loon.  A seagull flies overhead.  And a few other birds are in their morning song.

Everything seems quiet and right.

Right that is except that the hatching date for the loon egg is long overdue.

Does the loon know that?  From all outward appearances today is like any other day.  The loon sits on the egg like it has for the past 40 days.  One wonders how much it knows or understands.  How much is simply instinct.  To sit on the egg no matter what.  From what has been documented in research, it is very possible that it would sit for at least another month or more if the egg did not hatch.  And now there is almost no chance that the egg will hatch.

So tonight at 11pm we will remove the egg from the nest so that the loon can get get on with its life.  

We will duplicate what would happen if the nest were on shore where a raccoon or some other predator would have probably taken the egg by now.  I appreciate the overwhelming support from so many of you to take this action to free the loon to get on with its life.  It is a decision that is not made lightly or done without consultation with experts.

But I FULLY understand the feelings of some of you to not do it.  To wait a few more days.  To give it more time.  Maybe, just maybe it will help to wait.  But then I ask myself, to what end?

So here is what I expect to happen when I take the egg tonight...and some of the signs you can watch for.  As the loon becomes aware of something approaching the nest, she will become more alert and will watch.  When I am about 10 feet from the nest, she will go into the water and swim nearby.  I don't expect her to call immediately but she may.

I will try to find and pickup the egg in the dark [I will have a flashlight but I will use it only in case I cannot see it at all.]  If the loon seems calm, I will try to show the egg to the camera so that you can see it quickly before it is taken.  If there is ANY indication that there may be a chick inside that is trying to get out, the egg will immediately go back on the nest.  But the longer I stay near the nest, the more likely that the loon may start doing  some 'splash show diving'.  So I will try to do everything as quickly as possible.  And to leave as quickly and as quietly as I can.

I would then expect the loon to wait some time .... 10 to 15 minutes ... before she feels it is safe to get back on the nest.  If this were a raccoon or other predator taking the egg, the confrontation would likely be much more violent and distressing and she maybe would not return to the nest for sometime, if ever.  However, I expect that she will return relatively soon.

But from there on, who knows what the reaction will be when she realizes that there is no longer any egg on the nest.  No egg to turn.  My hope and prayer is that there is no great distress and that there is a simple acceptance of it.

The loon may still sit on the nest for a little bit and may even return to the nest a few times to check it out.  But I expect that the bond will be broken fairly quickly.  And that they can get on with their lives.

I have received several reports from other areas where either the loons are long overdue for a hatch or where the eggs did not hatch and they have abandoned their nest.

Is it the unusual weather this spring?  Unusually warm very early and then unusually cool later?  Or is it some other factor that we do not see or know?

Are we aware of it because by simply watching these loons so closely we are aware of every little detail that would have gone unnoticed before?  Surely this has happened a thousand times over through the years.  But for most of us this is the first time that we have ever been able to observe this wonder of nature so close and so personal.  What is out of sight is out of mind.  But because we have been able to watch every minute and every detail with this special pair of loons, we have bonded with them in a unique way and therefore tend to personalize everything.

The same thing that would have caused great joy with seeing a little chick after watching for so long, now causes a deep sense of sadness and longing when it becomes apparent that the chick is not to be this year.  If only.  If only.  If only.....

So there is a certain heaviness in my heart today as we look at removing the egg so that the loons can get on with their lives.  But I am also convinced it is the right thing to do.  And I know that many of you feel the same way.

So today let's enjoy every minute of the view of this magnificent bird today.  All of the various behaviors that we have come to know and enjoy and appreciate with a new sense of wonder and knowledge.

I will try to leave the camera on for a few days even after they leave the nest so that you can catch a glimpse of them now and then.   But then this year comes to an end and we will look forward to next year and a whole new set of adventures.

And life goes on.  In all its innumerable forms.  With all its marvelous variations and twists and turns that are impossible to predict.

Sunday, June 13, 2010 5:56am CDT

 

51 degrees   Cloudy   Wind  N 4mph

 

 

Egg #1   Day 39          Egg #2  Day 37

 

The calendar is no longer our friend when it comes to the loon eggs this year.

 

The probability that we could still have a successful hatch of the remaining egg has now gone to about zero.  There is no way to tell if the egg still on the nest was the first egg that was laid or if it was the second egg that was laid.  But either way, we are now 10 days beyond when we would have expected an egg to hatch.

All observations and research done would indicate that there is now almost no chance that the remaining egg will hatch.  The Minnesota DNR agrees that there is almost no chance it will hatch and has given permission to take the egg.  By taking it now, there is the possibility that it could add to the body of knowledge of what is known about loons.

But even more importantly, it will duplicate what would normally happen in nature when a predator would take the egg and free the loons from their nest.  As I have mentioned, there have been 2 cases documented where loons sat on unviable eggs for 66 days and 74 days when they did not hatch and no predator took them.  I would hate to see our loons have to go through that ordeal.

[Someone on here said that they had personally seen loon eggs go 3 weeks beyond its expected hatching date.   Whoever that was would you PLEASE contact me!  And post the information here.  I would like to know the details that can be verified because that would rewrite all the research that has ever been done.  And we owe it to everyone to have this documented if it is true.] 

It seems to be the overwhelming consensus to take the egg on Monday night, although many of you have said 'the sooner the better for the sake of our loons'.

 

So unless something unforeseen happens, I will plan on taking the egg tomorrow [Monday night] at 11pm.  I wanted you to know so that you could be watching if you want to watch and so you could tell others who you want to see as well.

There is the old saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."  I think that may sum up many of our feelings.  We would give anything to see a little black fuzzy chick.  To see our loons not tied to the nest day after day with no hope of chicks.  To have a different outcome than what we are seeing this year.  But this is nature.  This happens.  This is "natural".  And so we can make the best of it and learn from it.

 

Is it easy?  Absolutely not.  But we can either 'curse the darkness' or we 'can light a candle' and learn some new knowledge from what is not an ideal situation.  Who knew the 'script' that nature would write this year for this 'reality show'?  I certainly did not.  And I don't think that anyone else did either.

 

I have said it before but I want to say it again before people start scattering back to all of our 'normal lives'.

 

THANK YOU!!!

Thank you to each one of you who have been a part of this adventure with our loons this year!  You have been absolutely amazing.  The depth of your knowledge and understanding and caring knows no limits.  Thank you for your support and understanding in having to make a difficult decision like this.  It is humbling.

 

Thank you is never enough.  But the English language lacks words to adequately express it beyond those two simple words.  To express how I feel about each of you.  And all the expressions of support and caring that you have voiced on these forums and in person.  I am forever grateful.

 

A large number of you have expressed concern for my safety as well as the loons.  And I thank you for that as well.

 

That is part of the reason that the decision has been made to do it at night.

 

Some have said to wait until both of them are off the nest.  But even when they are "off the nest", they are still close by.  And during the day, an 'attack' is more probable.  [Although even at that I have to shake my head a little.  To me it would be an 'attack'.  To them it is just defending their nest!]

 

But here is what I expect will happen....but who can ever predict it?!!

I expect that at that time of night, one loon will be on the nest and the other one will be far out in the lake somewhere.

 

I expect that as I approach the nest, the loon on the nest will leave the nest.  As we saw when I had to adjust the camera, she did not leave until I was about 10 feet away from the nest.  For those who wondered if I 'would reach under her and take the egg', I do not think that will be a concern.  She almost certainly will leave the nest as I get near.  If she doesn't, there is no way I would even take the egg.  Both for her sake and for mine.  Trying to do that would almost guarantee injury to me.  And trauma to her.  If she does not leave the nest as I approach, then we 'go back to the drawing board'.

 

But I fully expect that she will leave the nest.

 

She will not leave the area but she will probably be swimming very close by.

 

If she does not seem to be under too much distress, I will probably even try to take the time to hold the egg up to the camera so that you can see it a little bit closer before I take it.  If she is doing a lot of calling or displaying [or attacking], obviously I will not take the extra time to hold it up to the camera for you.

 

Also, if I see ANYTHING that would make me believe that there is even a chance of a viable chick in the egg...a pip, a crack, a peep, a sound, ANYTHING...I will simply replace the egg on the nest and leave.

 

But I do not believe that will happen.

 

Some of you wondered about the first egg that I retrieved after it had been bumped into the lake and floated awayl

 

I kept it in the warmth for almost two days...JUST IN CASE there was any possibility that there was a chick inside hoping to get out.  But there was no indication of anything.  No hole in the egg, no crack, no sound, no movement.  But most telling, there was no warmth coming from inside the egg itself.  Something that surely would have happened had there been a chick inside ready to get out.

 

After I take the egg and quickly and quietly leave the area, it is anyone's guess what will happen next.

 

I would expect that after 10 or 15 minutes, the loon will once again get back up on the nest as we have seen her do so many times over the last month-and-a-half.

 

But then it is anybody's guess what will happen when she realizes there is no egg there to turn.  That is where we can learn even more.  What would they do if it had been another predator that had eaten the egg and it was not longer there?  I do not know what she will do.

 

A couple years ago, when one chick hatched and the other one did not, the loon returned to the nest after the egg had been taken and if I remember right, she looked around, sat on the nest for a little bit and then very soon afterwards left the nest and swam off with her mate and chick.

 

I would expect something similar to happen this time.  But this time she does not have a chick to swim off with.  This time it will be at night.  That time it was daylight and they were swimming close by with their chick, unconcerned.  So there are differences.

 

So I really do not know what to predict will happen after I take the egg.  We will see.  And we will learn.

 

I know that there are a few of you who have expressed concern that we are taking the egg.  Believe me, no one feels that more than me.  But I honestly think that this is the right thing to do at this time.

 

It is time to set our loons free from a nest and from an egg that will not hatch.  Thank you for your understanding.  And for caring for these beautiful creatures!