Tuesday, March 29, 2011 10:34pm CDT

 

30 degrees   Clear   Wind Calm

 

As I mentioned last night, it looks like the major part of loon migration may have started!

We now have a third loon, #55490, on his way north.

This loon was from Trude Lake in Wisconsin.

He spent most of the winter in the Gulf of Mexico just off the coast of Florida near Pensacola.  He was the westernmost of the loons that we tracked this winter and the one who would possibly have been most vulnerable to the oil spill.  He stayed in the same area for most of the winter.

But then on Sunday he started north and apparently made the entire trip to the southern end of the Lake Michigan in one non-stop flight, arriving there this morning.

So now we have three loons on the move.  Two others are still down south....one on the Atlantic Coast and one on the Gulf of Mexico.

There are four other loons that have problems with their satellite transmissions.  They apparently are all alive but are not consistently transmitting data that will permit good pinpointing of their locations.  Kevin Kenow thinks that this may be due to bent antennas.

Who knows.  Maybe when they start moving again we will be able to receive signals from them and find out where they are.

The migration seems to be underway!

What is it that finally triggers them to take off and fly north?  What do they sense?  What cues and clues are they sensitive to?  So many questions and so many more answers that are needed to better understand our loons.

But whatever it is that triggers their migration, they seem to have gotten the signal.  Much like "Drivers start your engines!" at a car race.

Their 'engines have started' and they are on their way.

Every day now gets more and more exciting!

 

Monday, March 28, 2011 10:32pm CDT

 

22 degrees  Clear  Wind calm

 

The last several days here at the lake have been cool but with spectacular blue skies and lots of sunshine.  But it has been cold.

There is still no sign of the ice on the lake melting.

And until that happens, we will not see our loons.  As of now, the ground is white with at least a foot or more of snow cover and the ice on the lake is solid up to the shoreline.

It has remained unseasonably cold here for the last week or more but the forecast is that we may reach the 50's by this weekend.  About where it should be this time of year.

The crocuses along a south wall have peeked out from under the snow for the second time but still have not bloomed.  Rhubarb nubs are also beginning to peek up from the soil underneath the snow cover.

So the signs of spring are there.  But they are struggling mightily to make themselves known here in the north.

But further south, the signs become more unmistakable.

The second of our satellite transmitter loons has now begun his northward trek!

Loon #55484 from the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage in Wisconsin is now on his way north.

On Saturday, March 26 he flew from the Gulf of Mexico to Weiss Lake, Alabama.  Interestingly that is the same lake that our Sagatagan Lake male first flew to when he left the Gulf.  Then loon #55484 flew to Fall Creek Falls Lake  near Pikeville, Tennessee  today.

Who knows how many thousands of other loons are now making their way north to take up residence on their favorite lake and to enrich our lives with their beauty and their magical calls.

I think we are now on the verge of the major part of the loon migration beginning.

Stay tuned.

Things change rapidly now.  You don't want to miss a day as the wonder of life unfolds all around us.

 

Friday, March 25, 2011 11:31am CDT

 

31 degrees   Sunny   Wind NE 3mph

 

The sky is a stunning deep blue.  The reflection off all the fresh white snow from our storm two days ago is almost blinding.

 

What a beautiful day.  But cold.

 

It is predicted to remain cold through the weekend.  As much as we want to see spring return, this cold weather will help those who will be affected by the flooding that is sure to hit many people.  It will slow down the melt and let some of the rivers go down a little before the next phase of the spring melt hits.

 

When the melt does come, it is sure to be fast at this time of year.

 

Last week I saw crocuses poking up through the ice and snow, their little yellow buds ready to burst into bloom.  Like the rest of us, it seems as if even the crocuses are anxious for spring to come after a long and hard winter.

 

They are still there someplace.  Under the foot of new snow that we got out of this storm.  Just waiting.

 

Ready to brighten our moods as the snow recedes, with the first blooms of spring.

 

It can't be far away now.

 

And our Sagatagan Lake loon #55480 is not far away either!

 

He is eager to get home, too!

 

He is now on Eagle Lake in Wisconsin just west of Racine and near the western shore of Lake Michigan.  He made stops on Weiss Lake, Alabama; Center Hill Lake, Tennessee; and Lemon Lake, Indiana before arriving in Wisconsin.  Soon the other loons will also be on the move.

 

Lakes here are still frozen solid up to shore.  So he cannot make it home yet.  But as soon as the ice goes out, he will try to move closer and closer until he is finally home.  

 

The same is probably true for "our loons" from the LoonCam.  We don't know where they are right now.  But you can be sure that they are feeling the same urges that #55480 is feeling.  The urge to fly north and once again build a nest and raise a new generation of loonlings.

 

The excitement builds.

 

It will not be long now!

 

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!