Signs of Spring Update: May 17, 2002 Today's Report Includes: Loons Still on the Move! Settling Back In Raising Babies: Challenge Question #30 Abandoning the Babies? Wiggling Race: Discussion of Challenge Question #29 Year-End Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts Loons Still on the Move! After the mild winter, loons had an early start on migration this year. You'd think they must have arrived on their breeding lakes early, but they didn't! Thanks to the cold spring, loon migration stalled for a while. Journey North science writer Laura Erickson was still seeing lots of loons flying along the south shore of Lake Superior in Wisconsin on May 12. Comparison between Migration Map for March 15, 2002 (left) and May 17, 2002 First Loons Seen: Data Last year's migration started later, but was more concentrated, so birds arrived on their territories earlier. To see how this year's migration stacked up compared to last, look at the migration maps. Last year's migration: Comparison between Migration Map for March 22, 2001 (left) and May 3, 2001 Settling Back In Photo Courtesy James Anderson As soon as loons arrive back on their territories, they start courting. It's urgent to nest as soon as possible, especially when they arrive on their breeding grounds late. After the nest is built and the eggs are laid, it takes about a month for the eggs to hatch. And it takes 3 - 4 months for the young loons to be ready to fly. If the eggs are laid too late, the baby loons won't be ready to fly before their lakes freeze, especially in the northern reaches of their range. To see video clips of a pair of loons calling and nesting, see Loon Pair Calling Video Clip Loon Pair Nesting Video Clip Raising Babies Photo Courtesy Woody Hagge Baby loons can't be called nestlings for more than a few hours, because as soon as they dry off, they leave the nest for good! They can swim by themselves for a little while, but when they get chilled, they climb onto one of their parents' backs and snuggle in under a wing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of nesting this way compared to the way robins and hummingbirds do? To learn more about raising baby loons, see Baby on Board Loons only lay 2 eggs while many ducks lay 8-12. Think of some important differences between loons and ducks to explain this, by answering: Challenge Question #30: "Why must ducks raise so many more eggs than loons to have a stable population?" (To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.) Abandoning the Babies? Loon parents leave their babies sometime around the time that the babies are 11 weeks old. At that point the baby loons can't fly yet. They will have to learn many things all by themselves: how to fly, how to find all their own food, how to protect themselves against predators, and how, when, and where to migrate. Sometimes people think it's cruel of the parents to abandon the babies like this. But there is a very good reason for it. Loons can't walk on land. Before the babies can fly, they can't leave their lake, even if the lake runs out of food. So the parents leave in order to ensure that there will be enough food remaining for their precious babies. Wiggling Race: Discussion of Challenge Question #29 Last time we asked, "If it starts out in exactly the same place, why would it take longer for a worm to escape from a woodcock than from a robin?" Worm Predators: American Woodcock and American Robin (photos by J.A.Spendelow (l) and Ann Cook (r). These photos of a woodcock and a robin show why. The worm would have to get much deeper into its hole to avoid the woodcock's long beak! Year-End Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts! Please take a few minutes to share your suggestions and comments in our Year-End Evaluation Form below. The information you provide at the end of each year is the single most important tool used to guide our planning. Journey North Year End Evaluation Please share your thoughts How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions: IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message. 1. Address an E-mail message to: jn-challenge-spring@learner.org 2. IMPORTANT: In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #30 3. In the body of the message, give your answer to the question above. The Next Signs of Spring Update Will be Posted on May 24, 2002 Copyright 2002 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form