Watching the Grass Grow

It has gotten hard to tell if a loon is still on the nest, behind all the vegetation that has grown up in the last two months.  We did notice a loon climbing on to the nest at about 3:45 pm today (it was visible underwater as it approached!), but they appear to be off the nest more often now, as they approach 60 days of sitting.  We hope for their sake that they’ll give up entirely, soon.   Viewers have asked whether the loons might be tending a second, viable egg, produced after the first one failed to hatch.  It’s conceivable, but the odds are remote.  A field survey will be needed this week to get a better view of what’s in the nest, and confirm that it has been abandoned. Or–shooting for the moon–a second egg.