We appreciate your amazing viewership of Larry and the Loons.  Everybody has been great and this year has been another huge success.  The Live Loon cam has been shut down until next year.  We hope you enjoyed watching the loons, and come back soon to see the next Live Cam that we find a home for.  Thank You!

 

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

8:55pm  86 degrees  Partly Cloudy  Calm

The sun is just setting and painting the bottom edges of the clouds a fluorescent crimson.  The lake is almost perfectly still except for the waves and ripples caused by the last few water skiers and fishermen.  We enter that magical time of twilight on a northern lake.

And over there to the left, in front of the island are our two baby loons and one of the parents.  Except they are hardly babies any more.  More like teenagers.  Increasingly independent and content to swim by themselves or together without their parents for longer and longer periods of time.  Except right now, it is supper time.  And the parent that is with them is busily catching fish and feeding the "kids".

One dive after another.  One fish after another.  One gulp after another and the fish is gone and the young loon waits for the next mouthful.

The other adult is somewhere but nowhere to be seen right now.  Either (s)he is on another part of the lake or maybe even has flown to another lake.  Increasingly, one parent or the other will take some "time off" and spend time away from the chicks.

Most of the time there is one parent nearby but it is not unusual now for the chicks to be by themselves for half an hour.

Tomorrow and Friday they will be 6 weeks old.  How the time has flown.  How the chicks have grown.  More and more they are beginning to look like a smaller version of the adults in form but without the black and white coloring.  They are a brownish gray and mostly an still covered in down rather than true feathers.  But their bills and bodies have elongated markedly since they were first hatched.  They now have more of the loon conformation.

In another six weeks, they will be fully independent and able to catch fish for themselves and they will begin experimenting with flying.

But for now they are still almost completely dependent on their parents for their food.

But the good news tonight is that the loons are doing very well.  Healthy and growing.  Becoming more and more independent every day.  And with each passing day, the likelihood increases that they will grow to maturity and make the long journey to the Gulf of Mexico this fall.

A few evenings ago, the loons were very upset and calling and splashing and paddling with their wings across the surface of the water.  This went on for minutes and we could not figure out why they were so upset.  But then it became apparent.

What we thought was one of the chicks was actually the top of the head of a neighbors dog swimming out towards them.  And they were NOT happy about it.  When the male headed straight for the dog, he wisely thought better of his course of swimming and turned around and swam for shore.  Had the dog not left, he could undoubtedly suffered some serious damage from the bill of the loon!

But the loons soon settled down and peacefully swam together as evening fell.

For those of you who have access to northern lakes with loons, enjoy them and protect them.  And for those of you who do not have that privilege of seeing them first hand, enjoy any pictures or videos or recordings of those magical loon calls.

Comments or Questions?  LoonCam@yahoo.com

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Friday, July 11, 2008

7:42am 64 degrees  Sunny  Clear  Wind 4mph SE

Forecast:  93 degrees  Humid  Thunderstorms late

On a clear calm morning, our loon chicks are swimming by themselves and doing well.  There is a slight breeze from the southeast making just a few ripples on the lake.

Neither parent is in sight right now, doubtlessly off somewhere relaxing, fishing or giving the chicks some independence.  While I am looking for them, I hear the call of a loon somewhere to the southeast of the lake.  It is obviously flying but I do not see it.  I assume it is one of "our loons" but it may also be another passing loon.

Increasingly, over the last week, the parents will leave the chicks on their own for longer and longer periods of time.  Most of the time they are swimming in the area but the chicks are becoming more and more independent.  They swim further and further away from the adult at times.

They are still very much dependent on the parents for their food but they no longer swim right next to the parent all the time like they did when they were little chicks.

Speaking of "little chicks", the are no longer the little chick that we saw on the nest right after hatching.  They are more and more taking on the shape of a loon.  Their body and their beak has elongated noticeably.  They are now fully 2/3 to 3/4 the body length of the adult loons.

They are still covered with a brownish down looking like teenagers who have mussed up their hair!  When they rise out of the water to flap their developing wings, they already have the pure white chest of an adult loon.  But even as they start to develop their feathers, they will maintain the brownish-gray look.  It will not be until they are about 3 years old that they first develop the characteristic black-and-white plumage.

The chicks still do not do a lot of diving but every once in a while they will dive repeatedly.  It is as if they all of a sudden discover what they can do and then they want to show off.  "Look, mom, what I can do!"  But most of the time they remain on the top of the water, just swimming and relaxing and letting their parents bring fish to them.

They now also frequently do the "foot waggle" where they sort of lean over and one side and raise one foot out of the water and just waggle it in the air.  No one is sure what the significance is of the foot waggle, but it is one of the characteristic moves of loons.

The loon's foot is huge.  If our feet were proportionately as large as a loon's, experts have estimated that they would be equivalent to a size 45 triple R!!!  That large webbed foot is one of the reasons that they are such powerful swimmers.

So the good news today is that the chicks are doing well.  Thriving and growing.  They are now large enough that they are relatively safe from all predators other than eagles and speed boats.  But with their increased diving ability, they are more able to escape even them.

Questions or Comments or want to share a loon story?  LoonCam@yahoo.com

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Friday, July 4, 2008

7:17am  55 degrees  Clear  Sunny  Calm

Forecast:  Sunny  81 degrees

While you and I have been off doing other things and living our lives, our favorite loons have been doing the same thing....living their lives.

The chicks are doing well and are growing so much.

This morning they are quietly sitting among a bed of rushes in the rays of the early morning sunshine.  The adults are no where to be seen right now.  Obviously off someplace resting or catching fish themselves.  There are several fishing boats scattered around the lake with fishermen trying for that ever elusive trophy.  But it is a very quiet and beautiful morning for the loons. 

The adults are now back and are busy feeding the chicks.

It is amazing to watch.  It is a literal "conveyor belt" of food for the chicks.  Both adults dive and soon one comes up with a minnow in its beak.  It swims over to the chicks and one of the chicks grabs it and gulps it down.  The adult immediately dives for another minnow.

Meanwhile, the second adult has surfaced with a minnow in its beak.  One of the chicks grabs it and swallows it in one swift motion.  And the adult once again dives.

But by now the first adult already has surfaced with a minnow in its beak and the chicks eat that minnow.  The second adult is now also back with another minnow.  More food for the chicks.  And this is repeated over and over and over without a break.

There is no better description than to call it a "conveyor belt" of food.  Continuous food coming for the chicks.  It is amazing also to see how fast it happens.  Each adult is under water for no more than 10 or 15 seconds before it surfaces with yet another fish. 

We have all seen how fast minnows and small fish can dart about.  So one can only imagine the high speed chases which are taking place underwater when the adult loon dives.  The darting back and forth that must go on.  A very large bird chasing a very small and fast fish.  Having great speed.  Being able to turn on a dime.  And being able to catch that minnow in its beak.  Yet one more of the amazing things about loons.

The chicks have shown the results of all that food.  They have grown so much.  Yesterday and today, they are 4 weeks old.  They are almost half the length of the adults.  They are more brown than any other color now....still covered in down  but looking more and more "unkempt" each day.

For right now, it is quiet and the chicks breakfast is well underway.

But this is the 4th of July!  This promises to be a very hectic and busy day for the loons.  For later today, there will not only be fishermen but there will be speed boats and water skiers and tubers and jet skis and pontoons and canoes and swimmers and a myriad of other activity on the lake on this holiday weekend.  The loons will have to be alert and carefully thread their way through all the activity. 

It is going to be hard for them to find a peaceful spot on a busy lake today.

Hopefully the boaters will also be on the lookout for the loons and will carefully avoid them.  When you are out on the lakes this summer, once again be aware of loon families that may be sharing the space with you.  And give them a wide berth and let them continue to grow and thrive and to bless all of us with that haunting and beautiful call for many years to come.  That call that truly is "the sound of the north"!

Questions or Comments?   LoonCam@yahoo.com

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

6:10am  62 degrees  Partly Cloudy  Calm

Forecast:  84 degrees  Sunny

The call of the loons is one of the first sounds heard this morning.  That mournful call in the still morning air with a lake that is very calm.....just a few ripples here and there.

The other Minnesota state bird, the mosquito, is out in force this morning!

But the real state bird, our loons, our doing fine.

It is amazing how much the chicks have grown in just the last few days!  It almost appears as if they have doubled in size just since last week.  This coming Thursday and Friday, the chicks will already be 3 weeks old.  How fast the time has gone and how fast they have grown.

This morning all 4 loons, the parents and the 2 chicks, are swimming in very shallow water over by the island.  Relaxing.  Fishing.  Preening.  And just being loons.

Even the chicks will rise up in the water and flap their little wings, just like mom and dad.  Or they will roll onto their side and do the "foot waggle" that is so typical of loons.

The parents are still catching minnows and fish and feeding the chicks and will do so for several more weeks.  And when they are feeding, it is a non-stop conveyor belt of minnows being brought to the chicks.  The adult will dive and 10 or 15 seconds later come up with a minnow in its beak.

When the chick sees that it has a minnow, it will immediately swim toward the adult and take it from its beak and hungrily gobble it down and wait for the next one.  The adult dives right away and repeats the process all over again.  And again.  And again.  And again!

The chicks are able to dive some on their own now and have been able to do so for almost a week.  They are not good at it yet but they can stay down for 10 or 15 seconds.  It is unlikely that they are able to catch any fish but they probably try.

The important thing is that they are able to get away from boats and eagles by diving.

Their increase in size has now made them safe from almost any fish and all except the biggest snapping turtles.  They are still vulnerable to eagles swooping down and snatching them, but with their new found ability to dive, they are more and more able to prevent that from happening.

Last week I heard the adults alarm calling repeatedly and loudly.  I went to look to see what was upsetting them, just in time to see an eagle circling overhead.  The loons did not like that at all.

Then the eagle swooped right down at them and the male started his penguin dance and tried to lead the eagle away from the chicks.

I don't think the eagle was trying to get the chicks this time.  He swooped down about 10 or 15 feet away.  I could not see if he actually caught a fish but I think he was simply fishing.

But the loons did not know that.  To them, he was after the chicks.  And they did not like it at all.  But once the eagle left the area, they calmed down and once again all was peaceful.

With summer weather having finally made its appearance, now the pressure on the loons from boats and jet skis and water skiers and fishermen and pontoons and canoes increases.

At times it can be a very busy "rush hour" for the loons and keeping the kids out of the traffic can be a challenge!

So if you are out on the lake  and you see a family of loons, admire them from a distance (300 feet or more) and use your binoculars to observe them.  By doing so, you will reduce the stress on them and help to ensure that you will be able to hear and enjoy loons for years to come.

Comments or Questions?   LoonCam@yahoo.com

Friday, June 20, 2008 6:11am  57 degrees  Sunny  Calm Forecast: 82 degrees  Slight chance of afternoon thunder Summer has finally arrived in Minnesota....both literally and figuratively. After an unusually cold and wet spring, we finally have a stretch of typical summer days.  Temperatures in the low 80's.  Bright blue skies.  Sunny.  And light summer breezes. This morning the lake is like a sheet of glass.  Reflecting the blue skies and the rays of the early morning sun.  The last small wisps of fog dance across the lake and disappear in the morning sun.  Expanding ripples of water mark where a fish just jumped.  Two boats with fishermen are on the other side of the quiet lake. It is as the old advertising jingle said, "From the Land of Sky Blue Waters"! And yes, just over there, is our family of 4 loons! They are doing well.  The parent's dive and within a few seconds surface with a minnow held in the tip of their beak.  The chicks excitedly swim over and gobble down their breakfast. The four of them are reflected in the early morning calm of the lake. Each day that passes it becomes more and more apparent how much the chicks have already grown.  The first chick was 2 weeks old as of last night.  And the second chick will be exactly 2 weeks old late this afternoon. But while they are out of our sight and our minds, the parent's are ever vigilant for danger.  Tireless in their catching of small fish and feeding them to the chicks.  Still the perfect model of caring parenthood. Here are a couple pictures courtesy of Karen Benjamin that you might enjoy.  They are not pictures of "our" loons but of another loon family in northern Minnesota that were born about a week later.  But they are pictures that are so typical of what you would see this morning, that I thought I would include them here. Today promises to be a quiet and uneventful day for the loons as they too enjoy the spectacular summer weather.  May your day be as perfect as it is this morning for our loons! Comments or Questions?   LoonCam@yahoo.com

 

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

9:35pm  65 degrees  Clear  Calm

On a quiet, picture-perfect midsummers night, the loons are doing well.

The lake is calm with just a few fishermen still out on the lake as the last rays of light fade and the calm surface is painted with the final pink hues of sunset.  There is one high speed racing boat going back and forth across the lake but now as dusk falls, he goes into shore too and all is quiet.

The 2 adult loons and the 2 healthy chicks swim together straight out from the nest, well out into the lake.

While it is hard to judge from a distance and through binoculars, it is obvious that the chicks have grown a lot in the week and a half to two weeks that they have been alive.  I would guess that they are at least five times larger than when they hatched.  But they still retain a lot of the cuteness that makes them so special when they are young.

As it was getting dark, one of them was riding on the parent's back and the other swimming alongside.  There is a good chance that both of them will ride on the parent's back overnight.  This gives them warmth and also protects them from predators.

Very soon they will be large enough to be out of most danger from predators from below....fish and turtles.  But they will be vulnerable to predators from above, especially eagles, for some time yet.

But every day that goes by increases the chances that they will survive to fly south this fall. 

Thank you once again for your wonderful interest in the LoonCam and for being so devoted to watching.  Hopefully these weeks of watching have given you a new appreciation for these wonderful birds and maybe you have even learned something new about loons in the process.

I will try to periodically give you an update of how they are doing because I know some of you are waiting  and wondering.  Hopefully all of the updates will be good news!

Questions or Comments?   LoonCam@yahoo.com

First things first.  I know the thing you want to know above all else is, "Are our chicks ok?"

And the answer is yes!

I saw them at 5:30 this morning, both of them riding on the adult's back.  It looked like they were just waking up and getting ready for another active day.

It seems like they have already grown so much in just the few days since we first saw the first chick a week ago tomorrow.  They have fed ravenously as the parents continually catch little minnows to feed to them.  At times it is a non-stop food line.  The parents diving and almost immediately coming up with the tiniest minnow in their beak.  Bringing it over to the chick who quickly gobbles it down and waits for the next course.

Let me share a story with you that one of the people who has been faithfully watching the LoonCam sent me.  It is about an experience they had last year with their loon nest.

As you have seen, I try to share the complete story of what happens with loons, the good and the bad.  But I try to concentrate on the positive side of things and the wonder of what is going on with the hatching and new baby loons coming into the world.

Let me warn you that this story is hard to read.  But it gives you a glimpse of reality of what loons are faced with and helps paint the total picture.  However, if you read these daily updates to small children, read this for yourself first and decide whether you want to share it with a young child.

"We thank you so very much for providing this Loon Cam so we can 
actually see the eggs on the nest.  We are located on (lake) in (county)

and also have a Loon platform a few yards from our dock.  We 
have had Loons on it for about ten years.    We never had more than 
one chick hatch from this platform until last year  We were so excited
to finally have two chicks.  We too, had an intruder Loon which always
challenged our pair.  We had a sad ending to our little Loon family 
after a careless boater ran over the family - not once, but twice.  
One adult, we think it was the male, had a severe head injury but 
managed to make it back on the platform where it sat for three days 
before it died.  In the meantime, the intruder went after the 
remaining adult and chicks.  It killed the first chick some distance 
away but we could see it floating after the incident.  The next day, 
the adult parked the remaining chick under our dock while feeding.  
The intruder came and got the chick and killed it within a foot of our
dock.  I ran out to scare it away and it took the chick out a few feet
further and finished the job.  After that, our adult and the intruder 
became a pair.  We are now awaiting our hatch which should be about 
the 16th.  We are able to witness all the activity surrounding the 
platform but can never actually see the eggs, so your Loon Cam was a 
fantastic opportunity.   Thank you again."

My heart broke as I read that story, as I am sure yours did.

It is such a graphic example of what we have been talking about with some of the challenges that loons face and especially the danger of boats to a loon.

So when you are out on the lake, enjoy your time and your boat to the fullest.  But maybe watch with new eyes.  Watch for that little loon family that is trying to weave their way through all the boat traffic.  Just to survive.  And to raise a new generation of loons.

That way, not only can you enjoy your boat and being on the lake, but you can enjoy that magical moment of a loon calling at sunset.

How much better does it get than that?  Life is so good in spite of the challenges that we all face.  And that our loons face.

This morning, the first light of predawn, finds our NEW CHICK peeking out from under a protective wing but looking very healthy and active!!

The other loon (male or female, I am not sure which is which) has already been in to check on the newly hatched chick.  They are contentedly swimming in the area of the nest while the  loon continues to sit on the other egg as well as shelter the new loon chick.  So far I have not been able to see if the second egg has hatched.  But I do not see any signs that it has so far.

I would expect that today or tomorrow would be the day if it is going to hatch.  Let's hope that soon we will be talking about TWO healthy new chicks!

Fortunately the severe storms predicted overnight did not strike the loons although there were bad storms in the area.  There was heavy rain and some wind but nothing severe.  Tornado watches have now expired at 5am.

But there is still the chance of severe weather today, especially this morning.  So we will probably see some more rain.

Of more concern, however, is that there are high wind advisories out until 6pm today.  But right now it is relatively calm and a wonderful morning for a pair of loons with a new baby!

If there is one good thing today about the continued storm system that covers much of the central United States, it is that today's winds affecting the loons are forecast to be from the south.  That means the nest will not be buffeted nearly as much as if it was a north wind.  So let's hope that, in spite of the high wind warnings for today, the loons will have a relatively quiet day.

For those of you already watching as day just dawns, you have seen the chick out from under the parent's wing.....almost as if to say "so THAT'S what it looks like out here!!"

The chick is already very active and able to maneuver on his own very well.  Even though he has not been in the water as of yet, he is full capable of swimming even at this tender age of 12 hours old,  It will not surprise me at all if he gets in the water with the other parent before the day is out.  But I for one hope that he just takes it easy for a little while.

Just a few minutes ago he was fully out from under the adult's wing and sort of laying on his side.  He exhibited a typical loon behavior called a "foot waggle".  As he laid on his side, he extended his leg and "waggled" his leg and foot in the air.  Loons commonly do this while they are swimming.  They will sort of roll over on their side and waggle their foot in the air.

No one knows for sure what the purpose of the foot waggle is but it is very common among loons.  And our little guy has proven that he is all loon with a "purebred pedigree" by already doing the foot waggle while he is still on the nest!

In the quiet of the morning air, the adult is already being tormented by the black flies and has been snapping and catching and eating many of them right out of mid-air.  That would be one advantage of the wind picking up.....it would give the loons a break from the black flies.

So what do you want to watch for today?

The obvious answer is any view of our new chick! 

You can expect that he will be in and out from under the wing of the adult.  At the risk of sounding like I like loons too much (which I plead guilty to!), there is nothing cuter than a loon chick for the first few days to the first week of its life.  The black down contrasting with the white underbelly.

Secondly, watch for any signs that the second egg is hatching.  I would expect it to hatch today or tomorrow if it is going to hatch.

Also watch for the parent in the water to bring a small fish or bug to feed the chick, even while it is on the nest.  The chick will probably also explore the nest and peck at the nesting material.  He will be in and out from under the parent's wing.  He will even peck at the all-so-patient parent.

 It is now 5:50am.....sorry got drawn away for a while by something happening out there.

I was surprised to see that the adult left the nest about 10 or 15 minutes ago.  I was surprised that they had left the chick and the egg totally alone on the nest.  When I went to look to see what was happening, both of our loons were out with the third "intruder" loon who we have seen fairly often the last week or two.  There was a lot of circling and diving and confronting....but surprisingly no "penguin dance" or loud calling!  This "ballet" went on for about 10 minutes.

All during this time, the chick contentedly sat on the nest....just him and the other egg.  Pecking.  Exploring.  Savoring his new world.

I was very concerned about two things.  One that he would get in the water by himself without one of the adults around.  Now, he could do that and swim fine.  But without a parent nearby and keeping an eye on things UNDER the surface of the water, he is a sitting duck (or should I say "sitting loon") for any northern or large mouth bass to take him as a morning breakfast snack!

Secondly, he is extremely vulnerable to crows or seagulls swooping down and just taking him.  Or an eagle trying the same thing, although it would be more difficult for an eagle to take the chick off the nest with some of the safeguards that I have tried to build into the nest.

But back to the ballet going on at "loon lake" with the intruder loon.  As the loons circled each other and dove, all of a sudden the intruder jumped and quickly 'water walked' 20 or 30 feet away.  Then one of the other loons surfaced right where the jumping loon had been.

I think I witnessed a "sternum stab" which we have talked about before.

That was enough to convince the intruder loon he really wasn't all that welcome in the area.  He immediately flew away.  I did not see if he actually left the lake or simply flew to another area of the lake.

But the fact that he remains around is a cause for concern for the chicks.  There are reports that other loons will kill a chick.  I am not sure how carefully that has been researched or verified but it has been reported.

As soon as the intruder was driven off, one of the loons made a beeline for the nest.  The chick immediately came over to the edge of the nest.  I thought for a minute that he was going to hop in the water.  But he stayed on the nest until the adult was able to get up.

And as of right now he is safely cradled under the wing of mom or dad.

For those of you who missed the hatching last night, it was magnificent to catch that first glimpse of the new chick.  Unfortunately, it hardly qualified as even a glimpse because the wind-driven rain had covered  the lens of the camera obscuring the vision.

The wind and the rain were heavy at the time the chick hatched.

The second loon got up on the nest and waited for the other one to leave.  When the nesting loon got into the water, there HE was for all the world to see!  A new, little loon chick!  The adult moved into position to take over the nesting duties, moved the empty half-shell of the off to one side and then BAM!!!!  Just fell down on the chick very hard!

I thought to myself 'that is sort of a rude awakening and rough welcome into the world for a chick that is only minutes old!'  And then as the adult was settling on the nest, they KICKED the chick and also pinned it down under their leg.  Ahhhh, no one said it would be easy!

But he has survived all that abuse and is healthy and active this morning!

So as you watch today, enjoy the antics of the new chick.  Treasure the memories and visual images.  Because they are all too fleeting, before the chicks leave the nest!  Too soon they will be gone.  And watch today to see if the second egg hatches.

It doesn't get much better than this!!

Questions or Comments?  LoonCam@yahoo.com