Monday, April 29, 2013 1:15pm CDT

Travis Frank April 29, 2013

73 degrees F Sunny Wind Calm

Sunrise 6:04am CDT Sunset 8:17pm CDT

Well, it is official.

We definitely HAVE AT LEAST ONE LOON ON THE LAKE!

I heard a loon calling and when I went down to the lake just now - sure enough, there was a loon swimming along the edge of the ice!

I had gotten reports yesterday of loon sightings on the lake.

When I checked one of them out, it turned out to be mergansers. But then I thought I spotted a loon. But he dove to quick for me to be sure. That resident called me later in the afternoon to say that he saw a loon out in front of his place.

Earlier in the morning I had received a call from someone who saw a loon out in front of her place as she sat and drank her morning coffee.

So I think that we can be sure that there is at least one loon back on the lake.

Last Thursday morning, someone on the east side of the lake reported hearing a loon fly over early in the morning. But she thought that it continued on over the lake toward a river that was ice free. The lake was still completely covered in ice.

We are getting close!

And the loons seem to be as anxious as we are.

I have kept track of ice-out dates for over 30 years on this lake. The latest the ice has ever gone out here in those 30 years is April 23. As you remember, last year the ice went out March 18, which was the earliest ever in over 30 years.

So we are officially now the latest ice-out date in over 30 years.

Today the ice is really turning black which is a good sign that it could start breaking up soon.

We have had 80 degree temperatures for the last couple days and that is really taking a toll on the ice. It was only a week ago when we had some major snow and the lake was frozen up to shore.

It has now melted enough around the edges that there is some open water. Yesterday morning, the ice was out about 500 feet from shore. The gentle wind had blown the whole ice sheet toward the other side of the lake where it was piling up on shore.

That is when we saw one unconfirmed loon on the side with some open water.

Late in the afternoon, a small thunderstorm passed nearby and the wind changed directions. Within half an hour, the whole ice sheet had shifted back to this side of the lake and the ice was almost up to shore here again, with ice piling up in some areas.

Now this morning, the ice sheet has once again shifted back to the other side of the lake.

As tempting as it is to put out the loon nesting platform [especially with a loon sitting out there], I cannot do it until the ice has broken up and is off the lake. If I had put it out before yesterday afternoon, it would have been completely destroyed when the ice sheet shifted and came this way.

The power of ice when it moves in the wind is amazing.

We can only wait until mother nature takes its course. Wait until the ice is gone.

It could happen anytime, especially if we get a fairly strong wind.

My personal guess is that we have at least a day or two before the ice goes out. If it is 2 days, that means that the ice will not be out of the lake until May 1st!

That is unbelievable.

But we have at least one loon on the lake right now. So there is hope. The loon had the characteristic break at the end of its call that we heard from one of the loons last year. Is it one of the same pair that we watched last year? It could be. But remember we banded both pairs on the lake last year so we may be able to know for sure who is who this year. We will have to wait until we can get a view of the bands.

Stay tuned. Now it gets exciting. Tell your friends and family and neighbors to start watching

Monday, April 22, 2013 9:05pm CDT

Travis Frank April 22, 2013

29 degrees Heavy Snow Wind 25mph N

6:15am CDT 8:08pm CDT

Well, here we go again!

We are under another Winter Storm Warning.

It is snowing heavily and it is being driven by a strong north wind. This is January weather, not April.

I cannot even begin to imagine what the loons are thinking.

Over the weekend, I was south of The Cities [that is our name for Minneapolis and St Paul for those of you from other parts of the world]. There a few lakes had some open water around the edges of the lakes and some of the smaller ponds were almost ice free.

Here, farther north, the ice on the lake is still solid up to the shore. It is trying to open up. But it is not making much progress so far. The continued cold and snow has keep the lake from thawing.

Last Friday, when there was a prediction of up to 6 inches of snow, we actually got over 10 inches here! Just 10 miles in one direction from here they got 15 inches. Ten miles in the opposite direction, they only had about 6 inches. So it varied widely depending on where you were.

There was even heavy thunder with it for a while! What is known as "thunder snow". That is basically a heavy spring thunderstorm only it is cold enough that it is snow rather than rain.

They are predicting the possibility of thunder snow again tonight, although I have not heard anything yet. But it has been snowing heavily for several hours already with more to come.

The winter storm warning from the National Weather Service is saying up to 9 inches of snow tonight for here at the lake.

That will not help to thaw the ice on the lake.

What may help though is that there are predictions of 60 degrees by this weekend.

That is the normal temperature for this time of year. But this year it is going to feel absolutely balmy!

If we get a few days like that, things will change rapidly. But it still will take a little while to melt all the ice that is still on the lake.

It is encouraging to hear reports of loons in the area.

They are as anxious as we are to return to their favorite lakes.

But until then, once again we can just wait and watch.

And enjoy the winter wonderland that we have been given with this snow which paints every pine tree with picture postcard snow. The bright red cardinal sitting in the deep green pine tree with the fresh white snow hanging on its branches, which will greet us in the morning, would make a perfect Christmas card for later this year.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013 11:49pm CDT

Travis Frank April 17, 2013

While we still have no encouraging news from the lake for our loons, there are other reports that hold some promise.

The lake here is still solidly frozen under feet of ice.

And the cold weather we have been having with more snow has not helped it melt. So it still looks like it might be a while before we can get the nesting platform out for the loons and before we see them back on the lake.

The nesting platform has been buried under snow and ice all winter.

Just when I think I will be able to do some work on it, we get more snow which buries it once again.

But right now there is no real hurry. Nothing can happen until the ice goes out of the lake.

But there are reports that the loons are TRYING to return to their beloved northern lakes.

The USGS website is showing 2 loons on Lake Michigan and one in Wisconsin. These are loons that we implanted with satellite transmitters two years ago. Surprisingly those transmitters are still transmitting enough to determine their location.

The local NBC television affiliate in Minneapolis on the news tonight showed a picture sent in by a viewer who said they "saw 50 loons on a lake in Bloomington" - which is one of the southern suburbs of Minneapolis.

I do not know of any ice-free lakes in the area so I have to believe that it may have been on Black Dog Lake which is part of the Minnesota River. The rivers in the area are all mostly free of ice - the Minnesota, the Mississippi and the St Croix. So it could very well be that our loons are staging on the open water of these rivers until they can move further north.

Someone else reported in the chat room that they had seen at least 4 loons on the Mississippi River between Red Wing and Lake City.

So the loons are close.

It seems that they are as anxious to come back as we are anxious to have them back.

But the next two days hold the promise of more snow. Maybe up to 6 inches of new snow.

Hope springs eternal.

Or is it that this spring is one of eternal HOPE?!

So once again we wait and enjoy all the wonderful things around us.

Sunday, April 14, 2013 1:48pm CDT

Travis Frank April 14, 2013

36 degrees F Snowing Wind NNE 10mph

Sunrise 6:29am CDT Sunset 7:58pm CDT

What is wrong with this picture?!

As I sit here writing this, there is snow coming down heavily.

I cannot see the other side of the lake. Only a wall of white. The cold north wind picks up speed as it crosses the lake and blows the snow sideways.

Birds huddle at the bird feeders - finches, nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, sparrows, juncos, cardinals and others. There is a traffic jam at the feeders and on the ground. Birds jockey for position, determined to get their share of the seeds just in case this snow is going to cover them. Noticeably absent are robins and redwing blackbirds - although I have heard them around last week.

Icicles once again hang from the eaves of buildings.

If I did not know better, I would believe that I was late in getting the Christmas lights and Christmas tree and other decorations put up!

The forecast is not for us to get a lot of snow from this storm, but we have heard that before! Farther to the north and west, the forecast is for accumulations of a foot to a foot-and-a-half with no travel advised!

We got over 6 inches of snow just this last Wednesday which turn everything white again.

Another storm has its sights set on us for Wednesday or Thursday of this coming week. Predictions are once again for measurable snow from that storm.

So, what does all of this have to do with loons?

Our loons will not be able to return here to the lake anytime soon. Most, if not all, of the lakes in the area are still solidly covered with ice. I would have to look back through my records but I think that it is safe to say that this will be one of the latest ice-out dates that we have seen for many, many years.

And until there is open water, the loons will not return. They may be able to return to some open rivers in the area but they will not be able to return to their beloved northern lakes.

Last week I was almost able to start working on the nesting platform. It had reappeared from under the ice and snow that had covered it all winter.

Now, it is once again covered with snow!

Even while I have been typing this, we have gone from heavy snow to ice pellets to freezing rain to rain to snow again and all the other combinations possible.

The forecast for the next week or more is for more snow and unseasonably cold temperatures for this time of year. Nights are predicted to be in the 20s and most high temperatures only in the 30s or low 40s.

The good people from Broadband Minnesota were going to come out this week so that we could start to hookup and trouble shoot the camera and everything else that must be done from a technical standpoint. All of that may also now be in question and on hold as everything is once again under a blanket of snow.

So, from the Great White North, Seasons Greetings to you!

We are just not sure "what" season it is!

Saturday, March 30, 2013 2:37pm CDT

Travis Frank March 30, 2013

54 degrees F Sunny Wind Calm

Sunrise 6:56am CDT Sunset 7:38pm CDT

Spring struggles mightily to wipe away every last vestige of winter.

But it has its work cut out for it.

After a long cold winter like this one, it takes every bit of strength that spring has in order for it to make headway this year.

Last night brought our first significant rain of the spring including some thunder. The rain has been the big 'snoweater' overnight. But even its prodigious appetite is no match for the amount of snow. There are still big piles 4 feet deep or more. And most of the ground is still covered to a depth of 2 feet or more.

After the morning rain, this afternoon has brought bright blue skies, warm sun and definite feelings of spring. So now the sun continues the rain's mission of being the 'snow eater'.

Most of the deep snow on the lake is now an expanse of slush.

Overnight it has been transformed.

No longer is it the bright white that it has been all winter. The white of a snow covered northern lake. That brilliant white that makes it hard to even look at in the bright sunshine of mid-winter.

Now the lake is a steely gray with brush strokes of white across the surface where the snow refuses to go down under the pressure of rain and sun.

But go down it must. Eventually. Ultimately. Even if ever so slowly.

Even as winter claws and scratches to hang on. The water on top of the ice will begin to eat away at the ice and turn it into icicles and shards that collapse and expose open water. But with 3 feet of solid ice on the lake, even that will take a while to accomplish.

Today's high temperature of close to 60 gives way to Monday's forecast high of only 33 degrees F. Winter is not ready to go down without a fight.

The sandhill cranes are returning with their racous calls. Flocks of Canada geese fly overhead, optimistically looking for any open lake and actual water. For now, they will have to settle for rivers to land on.

The maple sap is running. It is the perfect weather for good maple sap runs. Warm sunny days. Chilly nights below freezing. A miracle in and of itself as sweet delicious sap by the ton is pumped 50 feet up into the air through the branches of maple trees. Squirrels and birds drink the sweet nectar as it oozes forth out of any crack in the tree. Amazing energy and nourishment for them that is there for the taking.

And none of us stop to see nor understand this miracle of nature. Only one of countless miracles around us every day.

But one of the greatest miracles that catches our hearts and minds is the northward migration of our loons.

They are on the move. Away from their wintering grounds on the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.

What is it that tells them it is time to start heading north? Easily a month later than last year when the lake was already free of ice on March 18th and the loons were already here?

Who is it that tells them that even though their lakes are still locked under solid ice, now is the time to start their long journey north?

Some things seem to be too deep for our mere human minds to comprehend, let along understand.

So we seek knowledge and understanding.

But even moreso, we stand back in awe of all the miracles of life that have been placed around us for our wonder and enjoyment.

Miracles and wonders that are there for us if only we will take the time to stop and look and listen.

And marvel!

During this special time of year, HAPPY EASTER to you and HAPPY PASSOVER to those of you who celebrate Passover. The greatest miracles of all.

Minnesota Bound

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