Loons continue to move to their breeding grounds as the ice melts from the lakes and ponds on which they will nest. Watch for tomorrow's ice-out report and note how closely these two events coincide.
What is life like for a loon during its migration? Ask Dave Evers and he'll tell you EXACTLY how they spend their days! Dave has logged long hours loon-watching. Since 1990, he and 2 of his colleagues have spent 4,000-5,000 carefully counting how loons spend each minute of their days. These observations are described as "time activity budgets". Here is what they have discovered:
During the breeding period, loons typically forage for 15 -25% of the time. However, immediately after migration, this rises dramatically. At this time of year they spend from 50-70% of their waking hours feeding! This puts the strain of migration into perspective. Loons are incredibly strong flyers, and travel up to 60 miles per hour during migration! This requires a tremendous amount of energy so, when the loons finally land, they're hungry. Remember, between the loons' ocean wintering grounds and their inland nesting lakes there are often few stopover points where loons can land and feed.
Here's a sample data table used for a time activity budget. It lists the 4 main behaviors Dave measures during the loon's day:
Activity....................Time (in minutes)
Foraging
Resting
Locomotion
Preening
Challenge Question # 89
"Describe the time activity budget of a typical student in your school. What four behaviors are most commonly seen? How does this reflect what's important in a student's life?"
(To respond to this Challenge Question, please follow the directions at the end of this report.)
Thanks to students at Scott Young Public School for answering Challenge Question #79 "Where do red-throated loons nest? Why might they stage along the Atlantic Coast at this time of year?"
From CANADA:
Answer: The Red Throated loon nests along bare lake shores, or low-lying
islands. This is where they are safe from any predators. This kind of loon
lays their eggs on the ground or in a nest of water-weed.
Scott Young Public School (syoung@web.apc.org)
The Following Migration Sightings Collected by the Volunteers of the National Birding Hotline Cooperative and Journey North:
From FLORIDA:
April 2 & 4, 1996
Alachua Co., Florida
COMMON LOONs were seen flying over Palm Point (North of Gainesville) on
Apr.2 & 4
From WISCONSIN:
April 6, 1996
Lake Wingra (In Madison) had a COMMON LOON. And Baxter's Hollow, in Sauk
County (NW of Madison), recently had a COMMON LOON.
From CONNECTICUT:
April 6, 1996
Milford Point (East of Bridgeport) has been a magnet for rarities lately.
Discovered offshore on Saturday the 6th, several RED-THROATED LOONS.
From MAINE:
April 6,1996
Downeast and Central Maine
An early inland COMMON LOON was at Plymouth Pond (Near Bar Harbor) on 04/06.
RED-THROATED LOONS were noted moving north at the rate of 6-8 birds per
hour along the coast from a vantage point along Ocean Drive on 04/07.
From ILLINOIS:
April 6 & 7,1996
Quite a few COMMON LOONS were seen on the Chain O' Lakes (NW of Chicago) last
weekend. Twenty-one were on Fox Lake, 19 were on Pistakee Lake, 10 on Long
Lake, and five on Bangs Lake (All NW of chicago).
From DELAWARE:
April 7, 1996
Ducks continue to be seen moving north along the coast. Many were
seen along the coast at Indian River Inlet and Cape Henlopen (SE
Coast). COMMON LOONS were seen, have molted into breeding plumage.
From NEW YORK:
April 8, 1996
Again, April 8, in Cattaraugus County, Other reports from Cattaraugus, at
the Allegany State Park Reservoir, (South of Buffalo) COMMON LOON. COMMON
LOON also on the Silver Creek upper reservoir (South of Buffalo).
From MASSACHUSETTS:
Nantucket Island
April 10, 1996
Our "Taxiing Birder" conducted an informal seawatch from Hoicks Hollow
recently. Among birds sighted 83 RED-THROATED LOON.
From MINNESOTA:
April 11
On April 11, 1996, three loons were spotted on the backwaters of Rice
Lake located in Circle Pines, Minnesota. They were calling to each
other and circling and landing. It was wonderful to have them back.
Carol Forrest CAROLF@cjhs.centennial.k12.mn.us
From MICHIGAN:
April 11, 1996
Elswhere in the Central Lower Peninsula (MONCALM COUNTY) -- a variety of
waterbirds, including COMMON LOONS are being reported on areas of open
water.
From MINNESOTA:
April 11, 1996
Among the recent migrants typical of this time of year which have appeared in
Minnesota in recent days include COMMON LOON. As many as nine loons were
seen on the St. Croix River in Afton (East of St.Paul).
From PENNSYLVANIA:
April 11, 1996
Waterfowl is on the move along the Delaware and Susquahana Rivers. At Ft
Hunter, (North of Harrisburg), a COMMON LOON, was seen.
From NEW JERSEY:
April 11,1996
At Cape May (Southern tip of NJ) this week, along the coast, RED-THROATED
LOONS are being seen as they start to move north.
From MINNESOTA:
April 12, 1996
First loon sighted flowing into Turtle River Lake by Brandon Lussier.
Mrs. Sheldon Grade 11
Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, Cass Lake, MN
bsheldon@mail.paulbunyan.net
From MINNESOTA:
April 12, 1996
Our first loon of the season was seen on April 12th east of Pine River, Mn.
It was flying so what open water it had found is unknown. Tony Chantland
Jim Minerich, Pequot Lakes School
Pequot Lakes, MN jmineric@voyager.informns.k12.mn.us
From MINNESOTA:
April 13, 1996
Although Lake Minnetonka is still covered with ice I've seen my
first loon there! Last weekend, there was some open water
surrounding the docks at a marina. There, over 150 red-breasted
mergansers were resting before heading further north to breed
on northern lakes and tundra ponds. As I was watching them, a loon
suddenly popped up out of the water with a fish in its mouth! I
watched it for about a half hour--and it was under water almost the
entire time. For me, this confirms what Dave Evers reports today
about the loons' feeding frenzy during migration!
Elizabeth Donnelly, Journey North jnorth@learner.org
From NEW YORK:
April 15, 1996
The Pleasant Beach area of Onondaga Lake (South of Syracuse) on
Sunday had 2 RED-THROATED LOONS, also on the Lake were COMMON LOONS.
Beaver Lake has also had COMMON LOONS.
How to Respond to Challenge Question # 89
1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #89.
3. In the Body of your message, answer this question:
"Describe the time activity budget of a typical student in your school. What four behaviors are most commonly seen? How does this reflect what's important in a student's life?"
The Next Common Loon Migration Update Will be Posted on April 25, 1996.
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