More Rain, More Challenges

1.8 inches of rain over the past 36 hours and the water level is creeping back up. The nest is on the verge of flooding and it’s still raining. This nest is on a small pond with a small watershed, so there is a good chance that the water level will begin to drop soon after the rain stops.

But meanwhile, the loons appear to be concerned. This video shows the water level about even with the bottom of the nest bowl. The female climbs onto the nest and lowers her head, ready for copulation. The male approaches, hesitates, makes a tentative attempt to climb up, but then swims away. Was it the water level that affected his mood? The fact that it was still raining? Or maybe it was because they had just successfully mated less than a half hour earlier and he simply wasn’t ready. Or maybe he was entangled in something. There’s a line across his back that looks like it could be a plant stem or a length of rope. We’ll have to monitor this closely.