Friday, May 7, 2013 1:49pm CDT

 
66 degrees     Cloudy Scattered Rain    Wind 8mph NE
 
Sunrise   5:40am CDT       Sunset   8:39pm  CDT
 
 
Some of you may have heard some tremolos just a little while ago.
 
There has been a single loon here today.
 
He was hanging around just inside the buoys but did not approach the nest.  This morning he did a 'swim by'.
 
I thought I saw a band on his leg but I could not be sure.  By the time I had gone back up to the house to get the telescope, he was not raising that leg.  So we just sat and watched each other as he peacefully floated in the area, some distance away from the nest.  And he showed no interest in going over to the nest.
  
Then he let out one wail and dove.
 
When he surfaced further out in the lake, he started a series of non-stop tremolos.
 
I could not see what had frightened him.
 
But he continued to tremolo.
 
Then an immature bald eagle came soaring over the trees.  The loon kept calling until the eagle was well on the other side of the lake.
 
As I continued to watch him through the telescope, I was able to see that he had bands on both legs!  This is one of the 4 adults that we banded last year!  I could also see the data recorder on his leg as well.
 
But I do not see a mate anywhere around. 
 
So the questions of this year continue!
 
There have been numerous calls, in the evening especially, from different parts of the lake.  But none near the nest.  But it shows that there are other loons on the lake.
 
Today is the closest that a loon has come to the nest this year.
 
So we continue to wait and watch.
 
And many of you are such faithful eyes for so many that cannot watch all the time.  Thank you for your service.  I just wish that there was more for you to watch.
 
 
 
Copyright 2013     Larry R Backlund

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 10:33pm CDT

 

63 degrees F     Partly Cloudly     Calm

Sunrise   5:42am     Sunset   8:36pm

 

This strange year of 2013 continues.

So far there has been no interest in nest by the loons.  This is the first time in all these years I have seen such behavior.  Or lack thereof.

Night before last a single loon came swimming by the nest.  That is the first time I have seen one of the loons even come close to the nest.

He definitely slowed down as he swam by and obviously looked at the nest.  But he did not come up to the nest nor get up on it.  He continued swimming on by.

Some of you were watching last evening as I was out by the nest.  I tried to explain what I was doing but apparently the sound of the wind and the waves drowned out my voice.

I went out to attach an extension to the primary anchor rope.  The extension that I had attached last year had been ripped away by the ice.  There was still enough rope for the water level to come up over a foot.  But if you remember last year we had torrential rains and the lake came up over 17 inches and the nest was in danger of going under.

I did not want to contend with that again while the loons were around so I wanted to attach an extension rope while I had the opportunity.

I was ready to go out and do it when a loon showed up and swam some distance out from the nest.

But he stayed further out in the lake and did not come toward the nest.

After he finally left, I went out and attached the extension rope.  That is when I tried to explain to you what I was doing.

I also made a new 'chick ramp' which should make it easier for the chick to get back up on the nest if he wants to.  You will remember that last year the chick ramp was completely ripped off the nest and washed away.  So this year I am trying another design.

The chick ramp is attached immediately below the camera, just out of view.  Hopefully it might also be a little bit protected from winds from a storm.

The nest has already been subjected to several very windy days with high waves.  But so far it seems to be holding up very well with little damage.

One of the other things I did while I was in the water was to place the swimming raft and a series of buoys.  These all form a semicircle around the nesting platform and are meant to keep boats, kayaks and canoes away from the nest.  So now the area is well marked.

I also tried to explain to you what to watch for as the plants on the nest develop.

The plants on the far side of the nest are a clump of iris and a clump of daylilies.  The iris are on your left and the daylilies on your right.

In the lower left corner of your picture are two clumps of iris.  You can barely see them at the edge of the picture.

Next to the camera and also on the corner to the right, just out of sight, are high willow branches.  They are there to discourage eagles from swooping directly down on the nest.

As many of you know from previous years, I usually say that I become very paranoid for about two weeks after I put the nest out.  What if we go to all the work and the loons do not use the nest.  But every year since I first built the nest, the loons have used it

That alone is an amazing record.

The DNR tells me that barely over half of the nesting platforms put out ever get used.  And this one has been used every year.

With this spring being so different, will this be the first year that the loons do not use the nesting platform?

Only time will tell.

I am not ready to give up yet.  But this year has been so different on so many different levels.  And so far the loons have not shown any interest in the nest.

So once again, we can only watch and wait.

We provide the stage.

The loons write the script!

 

Copyright 2013    Larry R Backlund

Friday, May 9, 2013 8:12pm CDT

 

[I am not sure why this message did not post last night.  So let's try it again.  I also am not sure why the cam has not gone live yet.  We had it working last night and were going to try to go live soon, so some other problem must have developed. I will try to find out and let you know.

You may be interested in checking out an interesting time lapse video. http://www.mnlakecams.com/   The ice was going out of Mille Lacs Lake today, a large lake in Minnesota.  We talked about 'chandeliering' last week.  Here is another example of it.  You may have seen this on the national news as well as the ice partially destroyed a resort.  Once again, there are piles of ice over 30 feet high in some areas (this video does not show the extreme piles of ice).]

 

 

 

59 degrees F     Clear     Wind   Calm
 
Sunrise   5:38am CDT     Sunset   8:30pm CDT
 
 
We are getting close to the LoonCam going LIVE!
 
Maybe even within the next few hours.
 
The good folks from BroadBandMN have been here all afternoon working through a number of technical issues.  Amazingly the camera that has been used for several years, decided to fail without any way to fix it.  It has been one of several technical issues to plague us and to fail this year after having been tested and tested.
  
We can only fix as we go and go on.  Hoping that nothing will fail while the camera is live.
 
But it points up how many things are vulnerable.  And how hard the technicians work together to make everything successfully function so that you are able to see the picture.
 
There is a real possibility that we may be able to 'go live' tomorrow or even within the next few hours!
 
I came up to the house to give you this update.  I am heading back down to the lake to do some more work.  If all goes well, we will try to be online as soon as possible.
 
Just so you know, you have not missed any 'action' yet.
 
The loons have not been up on the nest or even near it.  
 
But they are here.  I just saw them and heard them a few minutes ago.
 
This year brings so many new questions that we have never faced before, mainly because of the late spring and odd weather that we have had this year.
 
As many of you faithful 'old timers' know, I become very paranoid during the weeks before the loons actually nest.  This year brings many of those feelings and even more.  Someone asked me if I thought with their late arrival, the loons had an urgency to lay eggs and already found another place to nest or will not nest at all.
 
It is possible.  But unlikely.
 
That would mean  that over 250,000 loons that nest in Canada would not be able to nest because the lakes from just north of me and throughout Canada are still ice covered.  
 
It is possible that the loons here have already found a nesting area.  That is possible but questionable.  The nesting platform was out in the water less than 48 hours after the ice was completely gone.
 
So many questions.  So few answers.
 
With this unusual weather and late spring this year, it gives us a chance to learn even more.
 
Check back often.
 
Like I said, we may have the camera live in a matter of HOURS!
 
Now I have to get back down and work some more before it gets too dark.
 
 
 
 
 
Copyright  2013      Larry R Backlund

 

 

Wednesday, May 8, 2013 9:35am CDT

 

Once again just a very quick update.

The good people from BroadBandMN were here Monday afternoon and evening to set up the camera and computers.

Everything went well except for one piece of equipment that was not working right.  It only takes one out of the many  to shut things down.

They were going to come back with more equipment yesterday afternoon.  But the eagle cam went down and they had to go out and work on that one!  So hopefully they will be here today to finish up the technical work on the Loon Cam.

Just to put your mind somewhat at ease, other than the time we were working on it on Monday, the nest has been in the lake so the loons can see it.  But so far, I have not seen them come to even investigate it although they may have when I have been gone.

I hear them out on the lake occasionally, even making some territorial calls.  So they are still around.  But they have not been coming to the nest so far.  So you have not been missing out on anything.

Just when you think there is nothing more you can learn, nature throws us a curve with the weather we have had this spring.

So we will just have to learn some more.

 

Copyright 2013   Larry R Backlund