Putting the Loon Nest In for 2023

Since I wasn't able to get the loon nest in till May 14 last year and none of the eggs hatched (all infertile), I made sure to get it in as soon as possible in 2023. I got word that the ice was off the lake on Wednesday, April 13 due to an unseasonably warm few days. So we headed to the cottage the next afternoon.

	On Friday morning, I got all the loon nest parts and the buoys and anchors out and ready to go. After assembling the ANP, I added some dead reeds that wash up on shore in the winter on the ANP to make the nest.
Then I towed the ANP (slowly) to the shore where the nest was to go out near.  I put on 3 anchors (cement blocks) to the platform and tied the anchor ropes through chains through the blocks.
	In waders, I pulled the ANP about 40' out from shore in about 3' water. 2 anchors secure the front side facing the lake and one in the back. The nest was ready. Next I made many trips to bring out and place the 5 buoys and a 'Stay Away' sign out. The buoys are about 100' out from the ANP in a large arc.
With the sign and all the buoys out the nest was ready for the loons. Note: we heard a loon call later that day and saw one flying overhead and calling on Saturday.
	As I kayaked toward the cottage, I was this large dark area on the lake ahead. I thought it was a weed bed that I wasn't aware of, but when it moved as I got closer, I realized it was a school of fish. I had never in over 50 years on the lake seen a mass of fish like this.
As best as I could tell, it was a large (couple hundred) school of suckers of various sizes. I was amazed that that large of school of fish could go undetected for so long. I have seen some suckers that were floating on the surface, probably hit by some boat traffic, but this was unusual.
Next Blog – Update on the loons

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