Thursday, July 22, 2010 11:46pm CDT

68 degrees   Starlit and thunder  Calm

I just came in a few minutes ago.  The loons out on the lake were calling their beautiful calls.

The moon is almost full.  The stars bright in the sky.  And flashes of lightening off to the west.  And muffled thunder.

A couple hours ago, I had gone down to the lake to wash my hands and arms and legs after doing a lot of work.

One of the loons was sitting only about a hundred feet beyond the end of the dock.  It was good to see him in so close.  He looked wonderful.

I went out to the end of the dock and sat with my feet in the water.

The loon did not move away.  He simply sat and watched me.  And I watched him.  And he watched me watching him.  

I started quietly calling to him to see if he would answer me.  Hoots and quiet wails.  Quiet so that the neighbors would not think I had completely lost my mind!

He didn't answer.  But he didn't swim away either.  We both just sat and enjoyed the moment.  Or at least I enjoyed the moment.

The whole sky above me was completely clear.  The full moon hung just above the trees.  The first stars started to twinkle as we sat there.  Off to the west was a high bank of dark clouds.  Occasionally there was a flash of lightening deep within the clouds.  The sun had set about half and hour before and darkness was quickly settling.  But this was still that magical time of twilight.

What could be more perfect than to add a loon close by on a lake of mirror.

He floated.  I sat.  Both of us content to just "be".  Both of us looking at each other.

What was he thinking?  The nesting platform floated close by.  Did he remember it?  Did he remember me?  Did he recognize me?

This went on for close to half an hour.  Finally I was having trouble making out his silhouette in the shadows of the darkness.  But he was still there.  

Another loon called from across the lake.  I wondered if he would answer.

He didn't answer.  He turned and looked that direction but made no move to swim away.

As I headed up to the house, he was still floating there.

But sometimes moments are too magical and magnificent for words!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 10:11am CDT

 

73 degrees  Sunny   Calm

 

 

These are the days that summer dreams are made of.

 

Unlimited sunshine.  Comfortably warm.  But not hot and humid.  Blue sky from one end to the other.  And even bluer lakes.  'From the Land of Sky Blue Waters'! 

 

And of course, loons.

 

Loons are the exclamation mark at the end of a sentence!

 

Last night, the call of the loons echoed back and forth across the lake.  Wails.  So they were 'good calls' with the loons simply saying 'I am here.  Where are you?'  One wail after another.  A wail on one side of the lake.  Answered by a wail from the other side of the lake.  Over and over.  Beautiful and even more beautiful.

 

I wish you could have been here!

 

I decided to do a second update because I knew you would be wondering about botulism poisoning which I mentioned in the last post and which is part of the loon study.

 

Botulism poisoning has been a problem on the Great Lakes over the last 8 to 10 years with die offs of loons as well as thousands of other birds.

 

Let's start with the very basics and let me share a little bit from my very limited knowledge.

 

Botulism is a serious life-threatening condition caused by a toxin produced by a bacteria.

 

In the absence of air (anaerobic conditions), this bacteria produces one of the most lethal toxins known to man.  Even the smallest amount of this toxin can be fatal to people.

 

Because the bacteria grows and produces this toxin in the absence of oxygen, it is one of the greatest dangers from canned products, especially home-canned goods that are not properly handled and treated with heat for a sufficient amount of time.

 

You may not realize that you are already familiar with this toxin.  It is what is known as "BoTox"!  Botulism toxin.  BoTox is used in small amounts in cosmetic procedures to partially paralyze facial muscles which cause wrinkles.

But BoTox 'treatments for loons are NOT a good thing!

 

Botulism toxin can and has caused the death of hundreds if not thousands of loons on the Great Lakes during their migration.

 

It started about 12 years ago on Lake Huron and then Lake Erie and has spread westward through the Great Lakes over the last few years.  In 2007, there was a die-off of thousands of waterfowl on Lake Michigan, including hundreds of loons.  There is one count that says as many as 2,000 loons may have died in this one die-off!  As of yet, there has been no similar die-off on Lake Superior but the fear is that it is only a matter of time.

 

No one knows for sure why the botulism poisoning happens which produces the subsequent death of loons.  That is why this tracking of loons will hopefully add to our knowledge of what is actually going on.

 

Here is the current theory that is believed to be most likely.

 

There are a number of "invasive species" that have been introduced into the Great Lakes, probably from the bilge water of ocean going vessels from other parts of the world, specifically Europe.

 

Three of those invasive species that seem to be implicated are the round goby, Zebra mussels and especially quagga mussels.

 

Here is the theorized path of how the botulism toxin gets to our loons.

 

As I mentioned, botulism bacteria produce a toxin in the absence of oxygen.  These bacteria are all around us in our environment.  They also exist in the sediment and decaying vegetation at the bottom of lakes.  Quagga mussels are 'filtering' animals as are all clams and oysters and mussels.  That is, they suck water in, filter out 'food' and expel the water.  They also filter out and concentrate some of the 'botox' and concentrate it in their bodies.

 

I can hear you saying 'why doesn't it paralyze and kill them?'  Scientists feel that the quagga mussel's nervous system may be so primitive that it is not affected.

 

The quagga mussel (a non-native species that is new to the United States) concentrates this poison in its body.  Then along comes a small fish called the round goby.  The round goby is also a non-native species that has recently found its way into the Great Lakes.  The round goby eats quagga mussels and thus takes the poison into its body.  It will eventually die from the poison.  But loons apparently love round goby.  It is a fish and loons love fish.  It is a small fish not much bigger than a large minnow.  Loons love that size fish!

 

Before the goby dies, the loon eats the goby and thus the poison now finds its way into the loon's body!

 

And within hours, the loons muscles start to become paralyzed.  It develops a condition called 'limberneck' syndrome.  The muscles of the neck become paralyzed, the loon can no longer hold its head up and it drowns.

 

So if this is a new situation caused or made worse by invasive species, the possible impact on our loons is very serious.  That is why understanding exactly what is going on is so important.  This USGS project and study is part of trying to understand what is going on.  I didn't want to say much about it until the USGS had issued their press release.

 

I hope that this information helps you understand more about what is going on.  And may be the first time that many of you have even heard of this problem.

 

It is yet one more example of the many challenges that our beloved loons face.

 

So, the next time you hear that beautiful call of a loon, remind yourself how truly special it is!  And how it is under constant threat from so many different directions.  Things that we never think about.  Don't let all of the threats overwhelm your view of the loons though.

 

Just sit back and enjoy the "call of the north" and realize what a privilege it is for you to hear the loons!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 9:31am CDT

Here is the official news release about the work done with the loons last week and the implanting of the satellite transmitters.

In addition to monitoring the migration patterns of the loons and what happens to those that go to the Gulf of Mexico, they will be also hoping to learn more information about avian botulism poisoning.  There have been some huge die-offs of loons due to botulism that we can maybe talk about at some point.

- - - - - - - - - - -  -

Loons Tracked by Satellites Will Uncover Mysteries of Their Migration: Tagged Birds Will Shed Light on How Avian Botulism  is Transmitted

Ten common loons are now sporting satellite transmitters so researchers can study the migratory movements and feeding patterns of these remarkable fish-eating waterbirds as they migrate through the Great Lakes toward their winter homes farther south.

By using satellite tracking devices implanted in the loons from Wisconsin and Minnesota, USGS scientists expect to learn essential information about avian botulism needed by managers to develop important conservation strategies for the loon species.  

“This study will also help managers better understand how loons fare as they head to their wintering grounds along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts,” said USGS scientist Kevin Kenow, of the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) in La Cross(sic), WI. “Right now, little is known about habitat use along their entire migratory routes.”

Common loons, a large black and white waterbird with haunting calls, are an iconic species in the Great Lakes states where they are most abundant. Unlike most birds which have hollow bones, loon bones are dense, helping them to dive to depths of some 250 feet in their search for food.

In addition to satellite transmitter-marked loons, about 70 other loons will have geolocator tags, which will record daily location, temperature, light levels and water-pressure data that will log the foraging depths of these diving birds. “This information will help shed light on how avian botulism may work in the food web on the Great Lakes,” said Kenow, the leader of the migration project.

Botulism, which has caused more than 80,000 bird deaths on the Great Lakes since 1999, causes paralysis and death of vertebrates who ingest neurotoxin produced by the botulism bacterium.  The USGS study on avian botulism on the Great Lakes, funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will examine the pathways by which fish and birds acquire botulinum toxin from Great Lakes food webs and determine how avian botulism outbreaks are related to environmental variables such as water quality and food web structure. Avian botulism outbreaks have resulted in periodic and often huge die-offs of fish-eating birds since at least the 1960s, but outbreaks have become more common and widespread since 1999, particularly in Lakes Michigan and Erie. 

“Understanding feeding patterns and exposure routes of waterbird species at high risk for botulism die-offs, such as the common loon, is central to understanding how botulism exposure happens in the

aquatic food chains in the Great Lakes and to eventually identifying what drives botulism outbreaks,” said Kenow, “Only then, can we help provide tools to prevent or lessen such outbreaks.”

Movement of loons from previous studies carrying satellite transmitters can be followed online at the USGS UMESC website.  Loon movements from the current study will be available later this summer. 

More information on avian botulism can be found at USGS National Wildlife Health Center website

In addition to the UMESC, the USGS Great Lakes Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center and Michigan Water Science Center are involved in the Great Lakes botulism study. The University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Natural Resources, and St. John’s Abbey and University provided support to various aspects of the migration project. 

 -  USGS

Sunday, July 18, 2010 11:42pm CDT

 

61 degrees  Calm

 

 

In the last installment of the story of implantation of satellite transmitters, the second loon was undergoing surgery to implant the transmitter.

 

This surgery was almost identical to the surgery on the first loon that I described to you.  So I will spare you from repeating all of that.  However, the surgery was going a little bit faster.

 

After about 30 to 45 minutes, the doctor had finished with the surgery and brought that loon out from under the anesthetic.

  

Now it was time to attach bands to the leg of the loon as well as a data tracking tags to the leg of the loon.

 

Each of the loons has a silver metal US Fish and Wildlife Service band attached to the leg.  This band has a unique number code which identifies that particular loon allows one to trace a history of when and where it banded.  In additional to the numbered tag, each loon receives two or three colored plastic bands on their legs.  The color combinations are recorded and gives a unique color combination for that particular loon which is kep on file.  For instance, it may be "on right leg red band over blue band".

 

No color combinations are repeated so if you report a particular color combination, the USFWS is able to access the records for that particular loon and no others.

 

But attaching the colored bands in addition to the numbered band, an observer can simply observe the color of the bands on the leg through binoculars and know exactly which loon they are observing.

 

Banding is what I would like to do at some point with the loons on the LoonCam.  That way we would know for sure if it is the same pair that return to the nest each year.  Or if it is the same mates.  It would have answered some of the feeling and speculation that this year we may have had a new pair take over the LoonCam nest.  But for now we can only speculate.

 

The data recorder that was also attached to their legs is an amazing piece of technology in and of itself.  It is able to track the loons position of longitude and latitude, altitude or depth and temperature.  This data is recorded within the small unit which is about a third the size of a AAA battery and should record for one to two years!  This unit does not transmit the data and must at some point be recovered and the data downloaded.  But since loons usually return to the same territory, there is a high chance of recovering the recorder.

 

The technology behind these recorders is truly amazing but I will not take the time to go into it right now.  Besides that, I am not sure I understand all of it!

 

Now we had two loons in carrying crates, recovering from the surgery.  Not a very fancy recovery room but one that was fully adequate for the purposes.  

 

But now all the work had been done on the loons from these two lakes....two males and two chicks.  And we waited for the loons to recover sufficiently so that we could return them to their lakes.  It was now about 2:30am and everyone was feeling the effects of the long day.  But each of us was excited about the success of the night so far.

 

When both loons seemed to be reasonably recovered from the surgery, the decision was made that it was time to return them to the water.  So we loaded them into the vans and off we went for the short drive to the first lake.

 

The first loon was taken out of its crate and set gently in the water.

 

But surprising, it just sat there.

 

None of us mouthed the thoughts, but I think it caused a minor concern in all of us.

 

Normally when you release a loon, they will quickly row with their wings to get away from you and fast as they can and will only settle down when they are 50 feet or more away from you.

 

But this male just sat there.  No hurry to get away from us.  Even when gently prodded he only swam a little ways away.  Then he swam under the dock and sat under there.  He seemed to be doing fine but he obviously was still feeling some of the effects of the anesthesia.  He had no problem holding his head up or we had discussed recapturing him if there seemed to be any real problem.

 

For someone used to watching loons, he was an unusual sight with an antenna sticking up above his body, much like a radio controlled car!

 

But after some time of watching him to make sure he was ok, it was decided that he would be fine and it was time to release the second loon.

 

So back in the cars and off to the second lake which was very close by.

 

When we released that loon, we had the same results.  

 

Rather than the loon quickly trying to get away from us, it just sat there.  Looking fine.  Looking content.  But in no hurry to rush off into the darkness of the lake.

 

Once again I think all of us thought it but did not verbalize it.  We all wondered if they were ok.  We all hoped they were ok.  We all thought they were ok.  But they did not try to move away quickly like we would have expected.

 

So we stood and watched for some time.

 

The loon looked fine....other than for the strange antenna protruding above its back!  There was nothing that indicated any distress or anything to be concerned about.  But you could not help being slightly concerned when they did not do "what they should do".

 

So we waited.  And watched.  And wondered. And hoped.

 

But after sometime, there seemed to be no reason to be overly concerned.  The second loon sat and floated.  Fully in a 'normal' posture.  Just not trying to get away.

 

So we left with a nagging question in the back of our minds.

 

We had another lake to do.  More loons to capture.  And we were running out of darkness.

 

Most of the group left us after we released the second loon.

 

And the rest of us headed to the third and final lake.

 

It was less than an hour away but it was a drive to this lake.  We got there about 4:30am.

 

There was just the slightest hint of light in the northeastern sky as the capture crew pushed off from the shore.  I pointed them to an area of the lake where I thought I saw ripples on the water in the faint light that was available.  The lake was almost perfectly still.  Was it the loons swimming in that area of the lake?

 

The capture crew headed toward that area of the lake.

 

Back and forth they went in search of the loon family.  Then there were recorded alarm calls coming across the lake.  And answers from some loons.  It was hard to tell which was real and which was Memorex!  Then there were the spot lights and you could see the white breasts of the loons as they came into the calls.

 

After a number of lights and tries, the canoe headed back across the lake toward the landing.

 

Did they have loons on board?

 

There now was definitely light on the eastern horizon.

 

When they reached shore they reported that they had almost had the loons in the net several times.  But it was just light enough for the loons to be able to see them and to get away from them.f

 

There would be no more loons captured this morning.  There would be no more chicks.  I would have to wait until another time to be able to hold a live loon chick.  I have to admit I was disappointed.  I wished more and more that I had left the first surgery for even a few minutes to go out and see the two chick that had been captured on the first lake.  But it was what it was.   It would have to wait until another time.

 

So our evening/morning was over!

 

We had successfully accomplished most of what we had set out to do.  It had been a success.

 

Now it only remained to find out if the transmitter worked properly and was able to communicate with the satellite and transmit data.  AND to find out if the two loons recovered from the surgery.

 

But for now it was time to go home and go to bed after a long day.  The USGS crew and the doctor headed out to find a motel to try to get some rest.  They had several MORE nights of this in Wisconsin where they were hoping to implant another seven transmitters in loons.  It would be a long week for them.

 

There is good news in a post script.

 

Later in the day, Carol was able to observe and report that all loons, and especially the two that had undergone the surgery, seemed to be doing very well.  That was very good news and I think relieved all of the concern that we had when they did not swim away from us quickly when they were released.  It indeed seemed that it was just taking a little while for the anesthesia to work its way out of their system.  And now that it had, they seemed to be doing fine.

 

Also, later in the day Kevin reported that he had been able to check the satellite transmission and the units in the loons were transmitting data successfully!

 

All of that was VERY good news.

 

I have asked Carol if she will report periodically what she sees with these loons so that you can keep up to date with them.  Also, Kevin had said that he would be willing to send me a link to the satellite data so that YOU can keep track of where the loons are, especially when they start migrating this fall!  How exciting will that be?!  You will be able to track their migration to see if they go to the Gulf of Mexico or to the Atlantic Coast.

 

And we will be able to track their migration back north next spring!

 

Or hopefully we will be!

 

Sometime soon I will try to do a post about the oil spill and what to watch for.  I think it is one big question mark for ALL of us at this point.  No one knows for sure what is happening to the chicks that are down there right now.  I have gotten one report that some loons have been found dead but I want to get some more verification of that before I say much more.  And then we do not know what will happen when these loons get down to the Gulf, if that is where they ultimately go.

 

Plus, even without the concern of the oil spill, there is just SO much that is not known about loons when they are on the ocean.

 

But these satellite transmitters and data recorders and bands should help fill in some of the blanks in our knowledge about loons!

 

Saturday, July 17, 2010 5:36pm CDT

[We have had storms and tornadoes tonight.  I have a little bit of damage but nothing serious.  I had posted this before the second set of storms hit here but for some reason it didn't post.  Fortunately I had saved it!]

74 degrees  Cloudy & Humid  Storms in General Area with Some Tornadoes

Earlier this afternoon I saw a loon swimming by itself not too far out from where the nest had been anchored earlier this spring.  I am not sure if it was one of our loons but I assume it was.  It seemed to be doing well and was relaxing and preening and doing some fishing.  Fortunately the storms that are passing through the area have been bypassing us and it is very quiet here with just a little bit of rain.  But other areas have been getting heavy rain, hail that has been softball or grapefruit size!!

One of those storms passed close to the area where the loons that we banded are located but I have no reports at this time that they were hit with any of the really bad weather.

I have gotten word that all of the loons that we worked with on Monday night are doing well....except for one.  One of the chicks  has not been seen for a couple days.  There is some concern that something may have happened to it.  There is an eagle nest very close to where the loons have been spending much of their time and eagles do fish on the lake.  The concern is that an eagle may have taken that chick but it is all speculation at this point.  There is no definitive word that we have lost one of those two chicks.  

The missing chick is one of the pair of chicks that was NOT banded that night.  So now we can once again only wait and hope for word of it being sighted.

When we left off in the story, the loon was laying on a multiple layers of white towels on the improvised 'operating table'.  The doctor was just ready to make the first incision to implant the satellite transmitter that could track in real time exactly where the loon was located.

A sterile field had been prepared on both the upper and lower part of the loon.  The first incision was made on the upper side.  This would be where the satellite antenna would come out of the loon.

I have had the privilege to watch several extensive surgeries in my life before.  So I was not fully prepared for the emotions that I was feeling as the first incision was made on this beautiful loon.  I knew this whole project was a very good thing to do and so much would be learned from this research that would be helpful to all loons.  But knowing that in my head did not help some of the emotions that I was feeling in my heart.  I looked out the window and saw one of the college students pressed up against the trailer....she had tears in her eyes.  I fully knew what she was feeling.

I knew the loon was in phenomenally good hands with the veterinary surgeon.  He was a veterinarian from the University of Florida.  He has a great deal of experience and expertise from around the world.  But as he said, this was the first time he had done this type of surgery on a loon.

He proceeded very carefully and skillfully.

The first thing was to open a channel for the whip antenna for the satellite to come up through the loon's body and allow the antenna to 'stand up and away' from the loon's body.

It was difficult to make that channel through the skin and the muscle.  But soon that part was done.

Now it was time for the more serious part of the operation.  The larger incision on the bottom of the bird where the satellite transmitter package itself would go.

The loon was turned over to expose the area near the back of the leg.  And once again the first incision was made.  Once again the difficulty in getting through skin and muscle.  Plus the added challenge of getting through a mass of blood vessels without causing undue damage and bleeding.

You will remember that we once talked about how loons sit on their eggs and brood them.  Most birds will develop an area of bare skin on their abdomen called a "brood patch" that allows the eggs to be in direct contact with the skin of the bird and thereby allows the bird to transfer body heat to the eggs.  Additional blood vessels develop in this brood patch area to bring even more heat to the surface of the skin.  After the eggs have hatched, the feathers grow back over this brood patch.

However, loons do not have this classic bare skin of a brood patch.  To have the bare skin would mean they would lose too much body heat to the cold water that is their home.

But loons do have a brood patch still covered with feathers.  And this area has an abundance of blood vessels that transfer the body heat to the eggs.  This area is near the back underside of the loon's belly, the very spot that you have watched the loon position the eggs so many times as you have watched the LoonCam.

This was the area that the doctor had to work so carefully to establish a space big enough to place the satellite transmitter and well as to make a passage through it to join with the other passage, where the antenna would go, which had been previously made.

It was an impossible balancing act.  Work carefully and methodically to make sure everything was right.  But also to work as quickly as possible to minimize the effect of the surgery and the anesthetic on the loon.

In our briefing session, we had talked about the possibility of actually losing one of the birds.  As Kevin had said, 'the worst possible outcome'.  This was real.  And here we were face to face with it.  A misstep now could be catastrophic.  Holding a loon under anesthesia for a length of time, also took a toll.

The minimum amount of anesthesia was used to just keep the loon 'knocked out'.

Then when there was a leg or body movement, or a fight against the tubes in the throat, just enough anesthesia was given to make sure the loon was comfortable....but not too much that would be harmful or even fatal to him.

A constant balancing act.

The doctor worked carefully  as he made his way through the mass of blood vessels.  There was some blood but compared to what there would have been without his skill it was minimal.  But it stood out starkly like a red stop sign on a white towel.

After more than 45 minutes of surgery, it was time to try the fit of the transmitter.  The sterile package was opened and the satellite transmitter was carefully removed.  The transmitter was fitted into the space that had been prepared.  Then some adjustments.  Another fitting.  Some more adjustments.  And finally it was time to actually put it in place.

The transmitter is a relatively small item but not insignificant.  Much of the bulk of it is the battery pack which powers the unit.  Picture if you will 3 AA batteries taped together.  That is about the size of the transmitter unit.  From this protrudes a wire about a foot long.  This wire is the antenna.

About this time, someone stuck their head in the trailer and said they were finished banding the two chicks and wondered if we were ready for the next loons to be captured.  The decision was made to release the two chicks - now sporting new bands and 'bling' around their legs - in order to minimize the stress on them but to hold off on capturing the next loons until we were finished with this one and we knew that it was doing okay.

So cars left in a rush to get the chicks back to the lake that they had been taken from.  And where mom was probably still waiting and wondering where everyone had gone.  She had just been too cagey to be captured so the decision had been made to take the male and the chicks and leave her on the lake.

I had wanted to go out of the trailer to see and hold the chicks but I knew I could do that with the next pair.  Or even at the next lake.  It was a decision I would come to regret.

Right now, there was a loon that was commanding everyone's attention.

The antenna wire was carefully threaded up through the passage that had been made through his body.

And then the satellite transmitter and battery pack were carefully fitted into the space that had been made for them.

Then it was time to close.

With the skilled hands of a surgeon, the vet carefully pulled and stitched tissue into place.  Antibiotics were used liberally to prevent any kind of infection setting in.  With the lower and larger incision now stitched up, it was time to close the upper incision around the antenna protruding from the top of the loon.  And when that was done, it was over.

Now came the critical part of bringing the loon out from under the anesthesia.  Anesthesia was withdrawn and puffs of air went into the lungs to help flush the anesthesia out of its system.  Local anesthetic was applied to the incision areas to give him relief from any pain for some hours.

The surgery had taken just over an hour.

The loon gradually began to regain consciousness.  He tried to lift his head and look around but would then drift off again.  The tubes were taken out of his throat and he was set up in as natural a position as possible under the circumstances while someone supported his head.

As he more and more came out from under the anesthetic, he began to try to move around so he was moved back into the carrying crate.  He was not yet ready to be returned to the lake.  He still needed monitoring.

But it was decided to send the capture team to the second lake to begin the capture process

As the loon started being more awake, we moved him outside where the air was cooler and fresher.  But he was still pretty groggy.  He would try to raise his head and look around.  Then he would lean over against the side of the crate.  This was repeated over and over.

After about an hour, the capture team came back.  They had only been able to capture one loon.  But it was the male so the second surgery began.  They actually had the female in the net but she made a move in a different direction than the netter had anticipated.  She spread her wings and was able to bridge herself across the net and escape.  Since we were starting to run behind schedule, it was decided to settle for the male and not try any more for the female or the two chicks.

I was disappointed that they had not been able to capture the chicks.  I had been anticipating so much being able to hold a live chick and observe it up close.  But there was still another lake to go.  I would do it there.

As the surgery was underway on the second loon, I talked to some of the students to get there reactions to the evening.  They were all in awe of what they had had the privilege to be a part of.  To observe these magnificent loons up close.  And to be a part of research like this that could add so much to our knowledge about loons.  Especially in light of the dangers of the oil spill that they will possibly be flying back into this fall.  And to learn more about what they do on their wintering grounds, where there is such a huge lack of information.  It would have been good to have had both females as well so that we could learn more about their interaction or lack of interaction during the winter months.  But what we have could add so much knowledge!

As the first loon became more alert, yet still very quiet, several of the students asked if they could see it close up or even touch it.  They were allowed to reach inside the crate and gently stroke the loon.  He made no protest although he was still pretty groggy.  They all commented how soft the head and neck were.  That it felt more like feathers rather than fur.

Several of them also commented about how soft the chicks had been.  One said 'it is almost like holding a bunny, not a bird', which is true.  A couple also commented how 'squishy' they felt.  So very soft and cuddly.  My chance would come to hold a chick at the next lake.

For now, we still had a loon undergoing surgery in the trailer.

[to be continued]