Loons return to the same lakes each year to spend the summer and produce little loons.
These are large birds and their legs are positioned so far back on their bodies loons cannot really walk on dry land, this is why loons build their nest on shore at the edge of the water.

They will usually locate a nesting site in secluded areas such as back bays, but on top of losing shoreline habitat due to homes and cottages being built, choosing that nest location can be difficult.

Once a location is found, both male and female loons will build the nest and by mid-May to mid-June the female will lay 1 to 2 eggs then incubating them for 26 to 30 days. That might sound easy enough, but the loons have many challenges ahead.

For those eggs to have enough time for the chicks to hatch, mother nature can be their worst enemy also. The possibility of heavy spring rain or waves caused by strong winds can flood their nest. Add the Wisconsin fishing opener can coincide with nesting Loons and wakes from boats also can flood or washout the nests that are only made of sticks, grass, mud and lake vegetation.

Another natural disturbance is when the black flies hatch, because they can force loons off their nest. If this happens the incubation will stop (EGGS NEED A CONSTANT 95 DEGREES) but an empty nest is also vulnerable to predators. At that time the threat are usually eagles. One good thing if you want to call it that is, if a nest is destroyed early enough, Loons may build another nest and lay a second round of eggs, but this rarely happens and only one eggs is laid.

When and if the chicks hatch, these tiny loons will ride on their parents back for the first two weeks to stay warm and to reduce predators from above (EAGLES) and below the water from (NORTHERN PIKE and MUSKIE). After a month, even though the young ones still cannot feed themselves, they are old enough to climb on and off their parents.

They also have learned to swim and dive to a certain extent. When they’re 2 to 3 months old, they still depend on mom and dad for protection and some supplemental feeding. There will be more articles on juvenile loons in the fall.