DUCKS, GEESE & LOONS 2012

gigi · **Posted:** Mon May 21, 2012 3:25 pm

After being discovered wing-walking down a country road near a lake,
Chris Hatton of For the Birds of Indiana rescued this beautiful loon.
We suspect he landed in a puddle then could not get the appropriate lift to fly back to water.
After examining him, noting just a little wing wear, then feeding him lots of fish,
Chris deemed him healthy enough to be released near his rescue site.
Finally, someone knew just what he needed! :thumbup

For the Birds of Indiana

kittenface · **Posted:** Mon May 21, 2012 8:43 pm

Great video gigi and isn't that a beautiful loon and very lucky that the right person came along :egg5:

gigi · **Posted:** Mon May 21, 2012 8:49 pm

Thanks KF. I am going to try to add music to it sometime....

gigi · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 10:30 pm

Chris at bird rehab wore this shirt today!

Beth · **Posted:** Fri May 25, 2012 7:52 am

Thanks Gigi for the video-Chris is a good egg!!

Love the t-shirt :egg17:

This year I haven't had as much time to watch the MN cam :(
5/24 photo...

Beth · **Posted:** Mon May 28, 2012 3:28 pm

Pacific Loon cam is live!
This loon nest is in Anchorage, Alaska...

This nest contains two eggs, the first laid on May 19 and the second on May 22. Incubation lasts around four weeks, so the first egg should hatch around June 14, with the second hatching a day or so later.

Catbird · **Posted:** Mon May 28, 2012 3:40 pm

OMG! There was a hailstorm and the poor Minnesota loon was getting pelted. All those white specs in the nest are hail stones.

Oops! I just noticed that the cam was offline, so I think it was showing a previously recorded hailstorm.

kittenface · **Posted:** Mon May 28, 2012 5:00 pm

Oh I sure hope that it was from way back and that she is alright I've said it a hundred time and probably will say it a thousand more.
These birds we watch are just so dedicated they sit thru everything that mother nature throws at them all to reproduce just awesome.

gigi · **Posted:** Mon May 28, 2012 5:48 pm

OUCH!

kittenface · **Posted:** Tue May 29, 2012 11:21 pm

MN. cam is back on kindda (in & out):egg5:now remind me again when will the eggs start hatching?

Beth · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2012 9:21 am

Larry's blog....
Thursday, May 31, 2012 5:27am CDT

47 degrees F Clear Wind Calm
Sunrise 5:28am Sunset 8:53pm

~The eastern sky is pink. Announcing the imminent arrival of the sun.

Its warming rays will feel good on this chilly morning.

But the loon doesn't seem to notice.

Its heavy coat of feathers give it all the warmth of a down jacket. So it sits relaxed on the nest and keeps the eggs warm and protected against the cold.

One can only wonder if it can feel or hear anything happening inside the eggs.

We are now only a matter of days away from the expected hatching of the eggs.

gigi · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2012 9:34 am

Larry's description was just beautiful - almost poetic! Thank you for sharing that with us Beth.

I definitely think the Mamas feel the movement inside the eggs especially when the chick is beginning to make its way out. After watching for all these years it does not seem to be a coincidence that mom puts an ear to the eggs.

kittenface · **Posted:** Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:18 am

A territorial fight between Pacific loons and Common loons at Connors Lake
While fighting swarms of mosquitoes, we saw the female on the nest, the male swimming in the middle of the lake, and at the edge of the lake near us, a couple of Red-necked Grebes, two pairs of Ring-necked Ducks, a pair of Northern Pintails, and a Mallard. All of a sudden there was a small bird chasing a much larger bird on the far side, acting like loons in a territorial fight. It was indeed such behavior, but our resident male Pacific Loon chasing a much larger Common Loon! This is the first time I've seen a Common Loon on Connors Lake. Our male came up underneath the Common, just as it was swimming away. Did he injure the other? The Common swam over to the shoreline near us and hid in the grass while our male stayed in the center of the lake.