DUCKS, LOONS, GEESE~ARCHIVES

Beth · **Posted:** Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:06 pm

Nooooooooo Nancy. Darn it!

Beth · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:59 am

4/24 am ...

beans · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:33 pm

Hooray for loons!

For the record, I would like to add that I've been bitten by Common Murres, Western Grebes, Clark's Grebes (well, stabbed is more accurate) but never by Common Loons (not that they haven't tried). All birds are treated gently and with respect, of course.

Now why is it, when I turn on the cam, all the Common Loons have left???

Beth · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 5:42 pm

4:28-4:31 pm -Working on the nest, we should see a egg "soon" ... :cloudnine:

beans · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:07 pm

Video: Common Loons Mating

Gavia immer
Order: Gaviiformes
Family: Gaviidae

Link to live cam: http://www.mnbound.com/live-loon-cam/

Link to web log: http://tinyurl.com/28haw9z

Beth · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:13 pm

Thank you beans... :loveheart2:

beans · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:01 pm

I'm having a problem with Replay Media Catcher, which I use to record flash video. For some reason, when it converts the files from flash to .wmv, the converted files speed up. Those loons were swimming around the water like ski boats! Luckily, I have Corel video editor, and I can slow down the speed, but it's an extra step, and a real pain to get it just right. I sent an email to the support team and hope a solution can be found.

beans · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:52 pm

This is an excellent video of Common Loons swimming and calling:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Thymie100#p ... au4i9iBaNs

kittenface · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:02 pm

OMG I just love to listen to them they have such a sweet call

Beth · **Posted:** Sun Apr 25, 2010 3:28 pm

I have one pic from this am...a Loon kiss :-)

beans · **Posted:** Sun Apr 25, 2010 4:29 pm

Take a good look at the loons. You will see that their legs are near their tails. Having their legs at the back of their body makes them excellent swimmers and divers. But on land they are at a disadvantage. When they are on the nesting platform, they drag themselves along. They can't walk. These pelagic birds spend most of their life in the water. If they are "grounded" due to injury, illness, or oil, their delicate keels can be compromised. Also their feet and hocks. They can develop sores that will never heal, and death will soon follow.

Beth · **Posted:** Sun Apr 25, 2010 7:18 pm

Thank you beans... :eastergirl:

On the nest now... :loveshow:

Beth · **Posted:** Sun Apr 25, 2010 7:36 pm

Larry's blog info...what to watch for when it is closer to egg laying...He thinks
the next few days!

The first is nest building activity.

You already saw some of that within the first couple hours that the cam was live. That was the FIRST of any nest building activity! And you were able to witness it.

There will be some more of that type of activity when they are on the nest. Moving material with their feet. Turning. Settling down in a different position. Making sure it is comfortable from every direction. Getting up. Turning again. Using their feet to dig a nesting depression. Picking up material in its beak and placing it along the sides of its body.

But then one day, you will notice that the nest building becomes much more serious, purposeful and intense. Almost as if an urgency has come over the loon. That usually means that egg laying is getting close....possibly even within a matter of hours.

Then when the egg is about to be laid, the loon will sort of climb up on the edge of the nest. It will spread its wings against the nest for stability. You will see the body straining. It is obvious at this point that the egg is moving inside the loon.

Then you will see the end of the egg appear.

The loon will sit there shaking and obviously exhausted for some minutes before it gets back in the water and swims away. Usually the male will be swimming near the nest when all of this is going on and you may actually be able to see him swimming there....like an expectant father.

So there are a couple things for you to watch for in the days ahead....increased time on the nest, nest building activity, serious nest building activity, the loon up on the side of the nest with wings spread and then finally...the actual laying of the egg.

beans · **Posted:** Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:05 pm

After fertilization, it takes about 25 hours for the egg to travel down the oviduct. During its journey, the hard shell will form and will take on color. Before it emerges, it turns several times. I think this is the oviduct of a pigeon, but it is similar to other avian oviducts.

sketch taken from Manual of Ornithology by Noble S. Proctor and Patrick J. Lynch

beans · **Posted:** Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:11 pm

The exterior opening to the cloaca is called the vent. Feces and urine are combined in the cloaca and exit through the vent.

Beth · **Posted:** Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:51 pm

Aren't birds brilliant...RSPB has this saying on their website and I just thought of the phrase
after looking at your posts! -Thank you-

2010 pic...Not as clear as last year

Wildearth server

2009 pic...Broadband server

Beth · **Posted:** Mon Apr 26, 2010 7:39 pm

Facts about Loons

Q. How big are a loon's eggs?

A. Loon eggs are elliptical in shape, averaging about 8.7 cm in length and 5.5 cm in width. That makes them about the size of one and a half tennis balls. Loon eggs weigh 125-180 grams, or about 3.5 % of the mother's body weight.

Q. Why do loons lay only two eggs?

A. The first answer is that loons only lay two eggs because their body size and physiology (how their body works) does not allow them to produce any more than that. The eggs are big, and it takes a lot of energy to produce two of them! In order to gain that energy loons have to eat a lot of fish and NOT spend time chasing off intruders or other activities that use up their energy. The other answer is that loons live for a long time. It is believed that loons can live to be 30 years old, which is a long life compared to most birds. Animals that have long life spans produce low numbers of young. This prevents overpopulation and exceeding the carrying capacity of the habitat.

Q. What color are loon eggs?

A. Loons lay 2 big, greenish-brown eggs with a speckling of black markings. This usually matches their muddy nests that are constructed of different plants, sticks, and debris. Because their nests are on a shore and often have little or no cover from above, the color and speckling help provide camouflage to protect them when eagles or gulls fly over.

Link for more info:

Loon info from National Geographic...

This is one of my favorite nest-cams :-)

could you tell!

Catbird · **Posted:** Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:02 pm

Thanks, Beth and beans, for all the great info on the loons. It's nice to have the cam back up, but what a difference in the picture resolution from last year to this - it was really striking in the comparison pictures that Beth posted!

kittenface · **Posted:** Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:15 pm

Oh sweet goodness that is just the cutest picture :smilegirl:

Beth wrote:

I have one pic from this am...a Loon kiss :-)

Beth · **Posted:** Wed Apr 28, 2010 8:43 pm

Cam has been down last night and today, back now...Still waiting for the first egg :eastergirl:

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