DUCKS, GEESE & LOONS 2012

Catbird · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:37 pm

OMG - What gorgeous pictures of the loon nest with the adults, the baby, and the blooming yellow iris. They're just stunning, as is the news of the first hatch here!

Beth · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:07 am

MN Loon cam...
Photos from the last few days. We don't think the 2nd egg will hatch :(

Night view with baby #1...

Baby on back :egg17:

SusanE · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:20 am

Beth, you got some great shots! Don't you just love the sight of the baby getting a ride on its parent's back? :girlluv:

I'm sorry the second egg won't hatch, but I'm sure everyone is thankful for the one chick, after the rocky start this season and thinking there might not be ANY eggs.

gigi · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:14 am

Beth · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:24 am

Beth · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:48 am

Little white belly :)

gigi · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:57 pm

So cute to see baby taking a piggy back ride

SusanE · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:19 am

That last picture is SOOOOOOOOO sweet. :loveheart:

Beth · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:33 am

6/6 photos :egg17:

Dad (and mom) and little one back on the nest last night...

LeeLee · **Joined:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:54 pm **Posts:** 471

Great photos, have been watching hit or miss, just love that little black cotton ball chick!

:girlluv:

Beth · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2012 11:44 am

6/7 & 6/8 captues...

"Baby -Big foot-"

Beth · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2012 11:49 am

Larry 's update on the 2nd egg...

6/8 = there was a strange conclusion to a strange season on the LoonCam with so many things that were so different.

Last night shortly after 7pm, out family of loons with the little chick decided to pay a visit and swim by the nest. Everyone was so excited to see them again.

One of the adults decided to get up on the nest one more time. It even had a minnow in its beak as it climbed up on the nest.

As usual it awkwardly plopped down on the nest.

But then it saw the chick swimming by the edge of the nest and immediately went back in the water.

However, when it left, everything on the nest had changed!

When it left the nest, what we now saw was a splotch of yellow next to the egg. But the egg looked different, too. It looked 'deformed'.

And it was.

When the loon plopped down on the egg, the egg had collapsed and its contents had squirted out onto the nest. The pale yellow that was a mixture of egg white and egg yolk. Thoroughly mixed and cooked in the hot summer sun. Like a custard instead of distinct egg white and egg yolk.

There was no sign that a chick had ever started developing in that egg.

It apparently had been infertile from the beginning.

Just before dark, when the loons were well away from the nest, I went out and gathered up what was left of the egg for possible analysis. We will see if there is anything that can be learned from a squashed egg.

Beth · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2012 12:22 pm

6/8 (am) photos :egg17:

MOM has a snack for little one :)

SusanE · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2012 4:41 pm

Thanks for posting Larry's report about the 2nd egg and all the CUTE pictures, Beth. When the baby was crawling up on its mother's back, it seemed to me he said, "Let's go for a ride, Mom!"

gigi · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:50 pm

Beth, thanks for posting those wonderful pictures and Larry's report. Fried egg for breakfast anyone!
Hard to find anything cuter than that "little black cotton ball" [as LeeLee described] :girlluv:

Beth · **Posted:** Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:08 am

Update from Larry :egg17:

Saturday

Posted on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 6:13AM
70 degrees F Clear Calm
Sunrise 5:24am Sunset 9:00pm

~In a very unusual year, thing seems to keep being unusual.

Once the chicks hatch, usually they leave the nest within 24 hours and from that point on, they are waterbirds.

Our cute little chick seems to be intent on being the first "land loon" ever!

It seems to be our little chick that is taking the lead at times of getting back up on the nest.

When the family has come swimming back by the nest, the chick has several times been the first one to get back up on the nest, even when the parents stay in the water.

Now it is not unusual for loons to make a short visit back to the nest after the chicks have hatched and they have left the nest. But I have never seen where they have spent this amount of time on the nest after hatching. And then for it to be the chick that seems to be taking the lead at times is most unusual. Or is it?

We are never able to watch behavior or loons close up like this in the wild. Minute by minute. 24/7.
But I must say I have not seen anything like this before on the LoonCam.

**I watched till 10:00 last night and the little one was soooooooo cute!

Beth · **Posted:** Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:10 am

SusanE · **Posted:** Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:29 am

That's interesting to read because I was thinking that I remembered they are rarely seen after they hit the water, so I was second-guessing myself with all the visits back to the nest this year. Extra treat for us!

gigi · **Posted:** Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:53 am

My first year watching so I did not realize this we unusual. Makes sense and fun viewing for us

Catbird · **Posted:** Sat Jun 09, 2012 12:38 pm

How sweet - We have a little "land loon" this season! The little one is really darling, and all the pictures of the loon family have been superb this season! Thanks to Beth for posting all the pictures and keeping the rest of us up to date on this beautiful family.

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DUCKS, GEESE & LOONS 2012

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