The countdown is on! Today is day 26 for the nest on LPC's live loon cam and the expected hatch date is between June 20-22! On average, a pair of common loons will incubate their eggs for 28 days; however, some loon eggs have hatched after only 25 days of incubation. That means the eggs could hatch any time in the next few days. Tune in now to watch the live stream.
Loon chicks usually hatch about 12-24 hours apart, and soon after, the loon family will move to the water and will not likely return to the nest site this summer.
If you missed any footage from the beginning of this season we have posted some videos on our YouTube channel. The loons have definitely had their fair share of excitement including a visit from a snapping turtle, a great blue heron, and another loon. The picture below shows a heron flying by the nest. It really looks out of this world! In this video clip you can hear the nesting loon wail as a heron walks right behind it. Thankfully the heron did not flush the loon from the nest.
Last Friday another loon came into the territory of the webcam pair. The behavior seen in this video is known as a circle dance and is a good example of classic loon behavior. Usually during a circle dance one or both members of the territorial pair will meet up with the intruding loon. They swim in a tight circle together, peer into the water, and then quickly dive under to avoid being speared from below. It's a good way for them to establish dominance and get a sense of the other loon's fitness level. You'll see that this did not escalate to a full blown brawl, however, we did get a report the day before of a beached loon on the lake. The beached loon was gone, though. when the observer went back to check, so it likely got back in the water. It's not uncommon for a nesting pair to chase an intruding loon off the lake. Sometimes they are so exhausted after a territorial dispute that they go up on shore to rest for a bit. Hopefully the intruder got the hint and left the lake for good.
I will try to get the word out as soon as possible when the first egg hatches. Stay tuned--you don't want to miss it!
Nighttime is one of the best times to watch and listen to the loon cam. The infrared light allows us to see the loons at night and the frog chorus is pretty magical!
The Loon Preservation Committee is dedicated to restoring and maintaining a healthy population of loons throughout New Hampshire; monitoring the health and productivity of loon populations as sentinels of environmental quality; and promoting a greater understanding of loons and the natural world.
