The water may still be too high but the loons are starting to work on nest building. So far, it looks like they are building up the nest they used last year. If this continues we will be moving the camera to a better position. Copulation has also started. You can watch a video of their May 20 morning activities here.
We’re happy to announce that the same pair we’ve been watching on this webcam since 2014 has once again returned this year! We know this because both of the loons in this pair are banded. If you watch closely, you may be able to catch sight of the bands when the loons are swimming by the camera. The female’s bands are orange dot over blue on her left leg and blue dot over silver on her right leg. The male’s bands are red stripe over green on his left leg and white over silver on his right leg.
This pair has an interesting history. The female was originally banded as an adult in 1998. Loons do not mature until they are at least 3 years old, so we know that she is, at minimum, 24 years old. However, because loons will, on average, not breed successfully until they are 6 years old, it is likely that this female is actually at least 27! We know less about the male’s history because he was only banded in 2014. He was an adult at the time of banding, so we know that he is, at minimum, 8 years old.
Though we only know for certain that this pair has been together since 2014 (when the male was banded for the first time), it is possible that this pair has been together much longer. Prior to the male being banded in 2014, this female was paired with an unbanded mate since 1999. That means that there is a chance (though it is not possible to confirm) that this pair has been together for two decades! Since she was initially banded in 1998, this female has successfully hatched 17 chicks! At least 6 of these chicks were fathered by her current mate. This loon pair has a strong history of nesting success, and we hope that will continue this year!
The water is high, but the loons are already looking for a nesting spot. They have been visiting the looncam area several times a day, sometimes for an hour at a time. There has also been a pair of ducks poking around the area looking for a nest. In one of the longer videos posted, the loon pair appear to be checking out the banks of the pond, hoping to find a suitable nesting spot on shore. Check out our recent videos on the YouTube Looncam 2019 playlist.
Our hopes are that the rains subside and the pond level lowers enough for the loon nest to be built near the camera. -bg
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