Well, we're back at the lake and the loons are still tending the nest. We're quite concerned, however, that the water is starting to rise and loons build their nests very very close to the shore. The reason behind the proximity to water is that loons have a very difficult time manoeuvring on land. Their legs are positioned so very far back in their body that they find it hard to walk. The position of the legs, however, allows them to swim like fish! They can go down to 200 ft if required to get food. The lake is very low this year; probably 4 ft below "normal". The egg(s) need to be kept dry at least two more weeks to hatch. (since I saw the egg 2 weeks ago, another 2 weeks would be the maximum time required to gestate). This weekend, it seems the loon(s) are spending much longer periods of time on the nest in comparison to two weeks previous.
We also encountered a manufactured loon nest in Clear Water Bay where another set of loons have set up shop. There is a nest and two eggs in it. The "man-made" nest is a floating nest which will rise with the lake. The chance of survival of this floating nest is much higher than the permanent one near our cottage. We were able to find this manufactured loon nesting platform because the fellow who made it had phoned me about my loon pictures in the Lake of the Woods Owners Association photo essay I wrote/photographed in the May issue. Check out my webpage for for loon photos. www.loonphotography.com
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