Tuesday, March 22, 2010 11:03pm CDT

 
31 degrees   Sleet and Snow   Wind SW2mph
 
 
And now it starts!
 
One of the loons that we implanted a satellite transmitter has now started to move north!
 
This is the loon from Lake Sagatagan in Minnesota that we implanted a satellite transmitter into last summer.  He is also know as loon #55480 on the USGS website where you can track the progress of some of the loons that are carrying satellite transmitters.
 
Loon 55480 had spent much of the winter just off the Florida Gulf Coast near Tampa/St Petersburg.  He had moved slightly south of Tampa near Sarasota and then started to move north to near Tallahassee just before he took off on his flight north.
 
He left the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, March 17th and flew 320 miles to Weiss Lake in Alabama.  Then on Friday, March 18th to Center Hill Lake, TN and on Sunday, March 20th to Lemon Lake, IN.
 
So the excitement of the northward migration has started.
 
There is hope that spring will actually arrive and displace all the cold and snow and ice.
 
And once again we will hear the haunting call of loons on our beautiful northern lakes.  The sights and sounds that stir something deep within our soul.  That connect us to the real world.  That strengthen that bond with nature.  That open our eyes to the beauty of creation all around us.  Beauty that is there if we will only take the time to stop and look.  And see the wonder of it all.
 
Of the nine other loons that we surgically implanted with satellite transmitters, one Minnesota loon died on Lake Michigan last August from aspergillosis.  Three are having problems with their satellite transmitters but we think they are alive.  The other 5 loons are still on the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean.
 
The loons will gradually move north as far as they can find open water.
 
This winter has been a tough winter throughout the northern United States.  Last year the ice went out on our loon's lake on March 30th.  I think we will be looking at something later than that this year.  But then last year was earlier than normal.  Normal ice out here is somewhere around the middle of April.
 
It will be interesting to watch to see if the loons use Lake Michigan as a spring staging ground as they did with their fall migration.
 
Tonight is cold and we are getting sleet and snow.  By the time this storm moves through some parts of the state could get between a foot to a foot and a half of snow!  They are predicting lesser amounts in the far north and the far south.  But there have been blizzard warnings out for Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior!  I was up along the North Shore last week  near the Canadian border for a conference at a wonderful place called Naniboujou Lodge.  If you want a unique, historic place to get away, check it out.
 
I am glad it was last week and not in the midst of a blizzard!  Although I think tonight the forecasters have moved the storm track slightly south.
 
But increased snow and cold over the next week will delay the spring melt.
 
By now loon 55480 should be in his full black and white plumage that we in the north are so familiar with.  Since he left Minnesota last fall, he completely lost his black and white feathers and replaced them with a drab gray coat of feathers.  And now this spring he has once again completely lost the gray feathers and has replaced them with the beautiful black and white that we know and love.
 
So prepare yourself for another season of watching our amazing loons on the LoonCam!
 
Who knows what drama and wonder awaits us this year as we watch these wonderful loons nest and hopefully raise a new generation of loons.
 
Depending on ice out, the LoonCam should go live sometime the last part of April.
 
And once again none of us will get anything done as we are mesmerized by them.
 
Get some extra sleep now.  Because it will be hard to sleep once they are here.
 
Let me add a big THANK YOU to those of you who came out to the National Eagle Center for my presentation on "Amazing Loons" last week.  It was so good to meet some of you who have been so faithful in watching the LoonCam and participating in the Loon Chat Room.
 
The National Eagle Center personnel were amazed at the interest and the turnout.  It was the largest turnout that they have seen.  They have already asked me if I would be willing to return next year for the Soar With The Eagles festival!  So thank you for making the day so special.  You may want to send them a thank you note for doing a special seminar on loons.
 
 
 

Monday, March 7, 2011 11:32pm CST

 
15 degrees   Calm  Cloudy
 
This seems to be the winter that just will not quit.
 
Overnight we got another 3 to 4 inches of snow here.  There is a major winter storm that is predicted for tomorrow night into Wednesday but at this point the forecasters are predicting that the major snowfall should go further south and hit mainly the southeastern part of Minnesota and across Wisconsin.  But we will probably still get several more inches tomorrow night and into Wenesday.
 
We still have a couple feet of snow on the ground with drifts and snow piles much higher. 
 
It will not be anytime soon that all of this snow will be melted. 
 
We can only hope that we do not go from the cold weather we have now to very warm weather with rapid snow melt.  That will not be good for  flooding.  There are already forecasts for major flooding this spring along the Mississippi River, the Minnesota River and the Red River.  Communities all along those rivers are already preparing for a bad flood season.  The communities of Fargo/Moorhead are already working to fill 1,000,000 sandbags to be ready for the expected flooding.
 
If we get some warm days with nights below freezing, that helps to lessen the flooding by allowing the snow to melt gradually.
 
I looked back at last year and on this date we had a high temperature of 57 degrees.
 
No where near that this year.
 
It may very well mean that spring will be later than normal and that the ice may not go out of our Minnesota lakes until late.
 
And of course, the ice-out dates on lakes determines when our loons return.
 
So once again it is out of our control.  All we can do is wait and watch and enjoy the full majesty of the change of seasons.  The battle between winter and spring....winter trying to hold on with every snow and cold night.  Spring inexorably working its magic to gradually chip away at the ice and soften the snow.  And before you know it, the crocus are poking their way up through the snows with the first flowers of spring, the maple sap begins to flow and the buds on the trees begin to noticeably expand.
 
All of our "satellite loons" are still on the ocean....some on the Atlantic Coast and some on the Gulf of Mexico.
 And loons from New England and eastern Canada are still on the northern Atlantic coasts.
 
By now all of them should already be well into their molt where their feathers change from the drab gray coat of winter to the spectacular black and white breeding plumage of summer.  They are returning to the loons that most of us identify with and know as our beloved loons.
 
Very soon they will feel that magical unknown call that starts them on their journey north!
 
They will gradually make their way northward as lake after lake appears from under its winter prison of ice.
 
And then one day, one magical day, we will once again hear that first call of spring of our loons.
 
How can you even begin to describe the feelings and the excitement that the first call brings?
 
You can follow the spring migration of the loons that we surgically implanted satellite transmitters in last summer.  You will be able to track which route they take and where they are as they head north.  The work of the US Geological Service and Kevin Kenow has been wonderful and helps us to understand loons even more.
 
For those of you who followed the migration south last fall, you already know that one of the Minnesota loons died on Lake Michigan.  Two others have had problems with their satellite transmitters but we do think they are still alive.
 
The USGS website where you can track their migration is:
 
Check it out and follow the progress of the loons as they begin their migration very soon.
 
I would also like to invite you to join me on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha. Minnesota.  They have graciously invited me to present two workshops on loons.
 
The National Eagle Center does a special spring festival during March called "Soar With The Eagles".  They are located right on the Mississippi River and you can view many eagles in the wild as they dive and catch fish in the river and as they perch in the trees along the shore.  In addition, they have several eagles on display in the Center that have been injured and nursed back to health.  But they were too badly injured and cannot be released back into the wild.  So you can see the eagles close-up as they do several educational programs throughout the day.
 
As part of this special "Soar With The Eagles" festival, they have asked me to do the seminars about loons.  As you know, there is a very special, if not always friendly, relationship between eagles and loons.
 
One seminar will be at 11:30am CDT [remember that Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday morning] on Sunday, March 13 and the second one will be at 2:30pm CDT.  If you are close enough to be able to make the trip to Wabasha, I think you will find it to be a very interesting time.  And the National Eagle Center is a great place with a great staff.  In addition, Kevin Kenow from the USGS will do a session on Saturday afternoon about the satellite tracking of the loons.
 
It would be fun to meet so many of you who have followed the LoonCam and this blog so faithfully.  You have been wonderful in your interest and support of the LoonCam.  So think about joining us on Sunday!
 
Very soon we will all be watching and worrying about our loons as they try to raise a new generation of loons.
 
It won't be long now!
 
 

Monday, December 20, 2010 5:22pm CST

 
19 degrees    Snowing   Wind W3mph
 
 
What would Minnesota be without snow in winter?
 
But I think even Minnesotans this year are beginning to wonder a little bit.  We are currently in the midst of another snow storm.  Not a huge one.  But enough to bring most areas of the country to a standstill.
 
A storm a week ago brought down the Metrodome roof and forced the Minnesota Vikings to play a 'home game' in Detroit, Michigan against the New York Giants.  With the Metrodome still undergoing repairs, tonight's Vikings game will be played outdoors in the snow at the University of Minnesota Gopher's football stadium, affectionately called The Bank.  Tonight it is looking more like The Snow Bank!   Over 30,000 to 40,000 cubic yards of snow have been removed from the stadium.  Here is a link to watch a time lapse of the snow removal.
 
This will be on the 29th anniversary to the day that the Minnesota Vikings will play an outdoor home game in 29 years.  Whereas the Vikings were known for their hardiness in playing in snow and cold and ice, that has not been their signature for 29 years.  But tonight it is a classic matchup between the Vikings and their arch rivals the Chicago Bears.
 
Already we are at the 5th snowiest December in history.  And with only another 9 inches before the end of the month, we will move into the snowiest December in history.  That is something I think is almost guaranteed.  The storm tonight will be almost enough to put us in that position and we have 11 more days in the month. 
 
So along with the rest of the country, we seem to be on track to set some winter snowfall and weather records.
 
Maybe the loons know something by going south each fall.
 
As you know, you can follow the loons location from their satellite transmitters on the maps at the USGS website.
 
Let me summarize the movements of the two Minnesota loons with implanted transmitters.  I will try to summarize the movements of the Wisconsin loons as well very soon.
 
 
Stumpf Lake Male  (#55482)
 
July 13        Transmitter surgically implanted
July 16 -->  Stumpf Lake
      22-29   Small lake a couple miles north of Stumpf Lake
      30        Back on Stumpf Lake
 
August 3-12    To Rice Lake about 20 miles southwest of Stumpf
           12-16  Migrate to west of Green Bay
           19       On Green Bay of Lake Michigan
           22       Last transmission from loon
           26       The loon dies and remains of the loon are recovered near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
                           (death due to aspergillosis)
 
 
 
Sagatagan Lake Male  (#55480)
 
July 13        Transmitter surgically implanted
July 21        On Sagatagan Lake
Oct 16        Migrate to Forest Lake, MN
Oct 17        Migrate to Lake Michigan near Racine, WI
Oct 20-Dec 4  Lake Michigan near Waukegan/No. Chicago
Dec 5          In flight over So. Kentucky near Dale Hollow Lake
      6          Off Florida coast SE of Panama City, FL
      8-9       Moving SE
      12-15   50 miles straight west of Tampa/St Petersburg, FL
 
 
 
It is interesting that the Sagatagan Lake loon has moved to the southeast on the Gulf until he is along the Florida coast.  Several of the other loons have done the same thing....gradually moved to the southeast.  One can only wonder if it is due to the oil spill and they are moving away from any smell or taste or presence of oil.  Or if it is totally unrelated to the oil.  Only time and observation will tell.
 
I want to also let you know about something else.  A week ago I got a letter from the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN.  You may know the town of Wabasha from the movies Grumpy Old Men with Jack Lemmon, Walter Mathau and Ann-Margret.  The National Eagle Center is probably the premiere eagle facility in the country.
 
Every spring they do a special festival that they call "Soar With The Eagles".
 
They have asked me if I would come to the festival and do a program on loons.
 
I will be doing two programs on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 11:30am and 2:30pm.  For any of you who live within driving distance, it would be fun if you could join us.    Let some of your friends and family  who may not still be reading the blog about this time at the National Eagle Center.  It would be a privilege to meet some of you who have been so faithful in watching the LoonCam.
 
On Saturday, March 12th, Kevin Kenow, the director of the project to track the loons, from the USGS will also be speaking and updating what has been learned so far from this project.  By then there will be much more data on what has been happening.
 
So maybe I will have the privilege of meeting you there and talking more about our favorite loons and answering everything you have always wanted to ask.  Although, all of you are so knowledgeable, I will probably be able to learn from you!
 
And to all of you, Merry Christmas to you and a very Happy New Year.  Or Happy Hanukkah or whatever you celebrate or even if you do not celebrate at all may this be a wonderful time with family and friends.
 
 

December 6, 2010 4:19pm

 

14 degrees  Cloudy   Calm

 

Minnesota is now socked in with snow that will almost undoubtedly stay through the rest of the winter.

Various parts of the state got upwards of a foot of snow this last weekend.  It was the real dry, light fluffy kind of snow that is so easy to shovel and sparkles like a field of diamonds in the sunshine.

The previous snow earlier last week was the wet heavy snow that came as rain turned to snow.

But the nice thing about that snow is that it was wet enough to stick to the trees and bushes and branches.  And it is still there.  A number of my pine trees are 'decorated' with that snow in the most perfect way.  It truly is a winter picture postcard.  And now with Christmas lights being turned on at home after home, 'it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, here and everywhere!'  

What a beautiful time of year.  And what a beautiful feeling it is as our attention turns to family and friends and neighbors.  Caring about them and showing that love and concern that sometimes gets lost the rest of the year.

I received two emails from Kevin Kenow from the US Geological Service about tracking the loons.

I had asked some questions about the data and he replied in an email yesterday morning.

Then just an hour ago, I got another email from Kevin telling us that the Sagatagan Lake male from Minnesota has finally left Lake Michigan and is on his way south.  The website tracking the loons has been updated as of today.

http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/terrestrial/migratory_birds/loons/migrations.html

Kevin has said that they are going to try to update the site a little more often now that everyone is moving.

The Sagatagan loon left Lake Michigan and made it all the way to southern Kentucky yesterday [probably still in flight].  That leaves only one loon 'still on Lake Michigan' (#55485) who has not been heard from since October 22.  At first Kevin told me that it could be either transmitter failiure or death...but now it seems as if they have determined that it is transmitter failure.  So if that is the case, all loons are now on their way.

So here are the two emails from Kevin Kenow that I think you will find very interesting....

"Sunday, December 5, 2010 8:54 AM

Hi Larry, 

There are a few loon transmitters that report infrequently.  Often I only get data from a single transmission...enough to know the loon is warm and alive, but these do not come with a location estimate.   Infrequent transmissions are likely the result of a bent antenna with the end dipping into the water.  The signal is attenuated and the antenna is not often in position to transmit a signal to the satellite receivers passing overhead at an altitude of 528 miles.  55487 was the first loon with this issue and we confirmed that a bent antenna was the problem.  Twice we tried to recapture the bird while it was still on its breeding territory on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage in northern Wisconsin; we got close a couple of times but were unable to capture him.   

I was receiving consistent data on 55485 and then observed a similar pattern of infrequent transmissions...and then nothing.  I never received any low temperature values for this loon.  However, 55485 last reported in just west of Beaver Island on Lake Michigan, an area that has seen quite a bit of botulism-related mortality this fall.  It is possible for a loon to die and not receive a mortality signal if the carcass is floating upside down.  I'm still hoping to get a reassuring 'blip' from this loon before concluding mortality.   

55489 is another loon with a transmitter that is received infrequently.  The last location for 55489 was on 26 November, but a single transmission indicates the loon is still alive as of yesterday. 

No news on the geolocator-tagged loons.  We will have to wait until next spring to learn of their adventures. 

Hope you are enjoying the winter weather! 

Best regards, 

Kevin "

 

and.....

 

"Monday, December 6, 2010 3:24 PM

If you have checked the loon migration web page this afternoon, you will see that the Sagatagan male (55480) reported in at noon yesterday from southern Kentucky.  The transmitter was transmitting while he was still on Lake Michigan at 4:50 a.m., and at 8:19 a.m. he was in flight about 109 miles SSE of the earlier location.  A couple of the intervals between locations indicated an average ground speed of about 75 mph.  The last location was received at noon, about 360 miles from the 4:50 a.m. location.  I suspect he was still in flight, but his location was only about 5 miles east of Barren River Lake (loon 55479 stopped there while migrating to the Gulf Coast). 

Bob Kratt is trying to update the web page as often as possible while the loons are on the move.  Within a week the transmitters will be changing over to their winter duty cycle and will transmit for 6 hrs on:96 hrs off instead of the current 8 hrs on:24 hrs off cycle.  Consequently, location information will be less frequent and we will update the web page less frequently.  The duty cycle is scheduled to change back to 8 hrs on:24 hrs off on about March 1st. 

Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Kevin"

 

So there you have the very latest information as of only an hour ago.

We now have three loons on the Gulf of Mexico, two on the Atlantic and three in migration.  Of the three in migration, I think that their route would indicate that they will also probably end up on the Gulf of Mexico.  We will have to wait  and see what happens.  Loon #55490 is the one that is farthest west in the GUlf and it would be the one most likely to come in contact with and be impacted by the oil spill if there still is residue of it.

Let us hope the best for all of them.

I hope that you are watching and learning with the same sense of wonder that I am!

Can you imagine that even not very many years ago this would have been something that we could not even begin to comprehend ... being able to follow the loon's migration like this.  How wonderful is this?!  And our thanks go out to Kevin Kenow and his staff for all their countless hours of hard work to make this a reality.

Stay tuned for the next chapter.  We can hardly begin to guess what will happen next.

With any luck, we are hoping that the transmitters will still be working next spring when the loons begin their migration north.  And we can only hope beyond hope that they will still be working next fall for the 2011 fall migration!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010 11:23pm CST

 
16 degrees   Cloudy   Calm
 
It is a winter wonderland here!
 
Overnight and today we got about 4 inches of new snow and it has decorated every tree and bush.
 
All the trees and bushes look like the finest flocked Christmas tree that you have ever seen.  It is gorgeous.  And it is even more gorgeous if you do not need to get out and drive in rush hour traffic.
 
There is still one very small section of the lake here that has not frozen over yet.  It probably would have frozen over except that the weather warmed up ahead of the snow arriving and then we had heavy rain on Monday.  The rain melted most of the snow that was already on the ground.  But now everything is white again.
 
As is normal with winter storms like this, there is colder weather that is predicted to come in behind the storm in the next few days so I think the lake will finally freeze over completely.
 
If you check the loon migration website, you will see that the loons continue to move.  There has been a lot of movement over the last few days.  The arrival of winter is definitely motivating them to migrate.
 
 
Loon #55479 is now on the Gulf of Mexico near Apalachee Bay south of Tallahassee.  He arrived on November 29th after making stops on Barren River Lake, Kentucky, Tims Ford Lake, Tennessee and Lake Guntersville, Alabama.
 
Loon #55489 stopped on Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee north of Chattanooga on Friday, November 26 and that is the last sighting of him.
 
Loon #55487 has now made it to the Atlantic Coast of South Carolina near Charleston as of Monday, November 29th.  
 
Loon #55488 is still on Albemarle Bay, North Carolina.
 
Loon #55484 moved to Brookeville Lake, Indiana from Lake Michigan on Friday, November 26.  He then flew from there on Saturday, November 27 and arrived on the Gulf off the Florida coast near Loon #55479 on Sunday, November 28.
 
Loon #55490 moved from Lake Michigan to Lake Monroe, Indiana on Sunday, November 28th which is his last location.
 
Loon #55480, the loon from Lake Sagatagans in Minnesota remains on Lake Michigan as of Monday, November 29th.
 
So to summarize, we currently have two loons on the Gulf of Mexico and two loons on the Atlantic Ocean.  So far they are supporting the hypothesis that loons from the Upper Midwest go to the Atlantic and the Gulf on about a 50/50 basis.  Let's see how that ratio ends up when all of the loons make it to their wintering grounds.
 
There are 3 of the loons still on Lake Michigan and two that are in their migration....one in Indiana and one in Tennessee.
 
When and where will all of them go?
 
That chapter remains to be written so stay tuned and keep checking back.