43 degrees   Calm   Foggy

On a chilly morning, the lake lies completely shrouded in fog.

I can see out to the nest, the loons former home, and slightly beyond.  But then everything disappears into a world of white nothingness.  Somewhere out there, the seagulls are calling with their raucous voices.  A single loons swims by with no chicks.

I assume our chicks are out there in the fog someplace, too.  Although I can't see them.  Nor do I hear them.

It is hard to believe that it was two weeks ago right now that we got our first view of a hole being pecked in the first egg.  And then later on that morning, the first chick hatched.  Our chicks are almost 2 weeks old!

So even though I can't see them right now, I assume and hope that both chicks are doing well somewhere out in that fog.

It is about at this stage that the chicks are able to start making their first meaningful dives.  They still are nowhere proficient at it.  But it is more of a dive than they have been able to do before.

They still are not able to dive quickly or deep enough to get away for sure from fast boats or jet skis, but they now stand more of a chance than they did a week ago.  It will still be several weeks before they will be able to catch their own food.

With their rich diet of fish supplied by their parents, they grow quickly at this stage.  They are still covered in black down but they definitely have grown since they were hatched.

So somewhere out in the whiteness of this early morning on the lake, we have to take it by faith that our loons are out there.  Unseen.  Unheard.  But hopefully doing well.

Questions or Comments?  Post them here or send them to LoonCam@yahoo.com