On April 21, the ice went out on Upper Gull, and by the following night loons could be heard calling from all parts of the lake. The loon symphony was in full swing! I stood outside at midnight and soaked in the sound. It was heavenly to hear them calling again! Due to the horrific conditions caused by the red tide in the Florida Gulf, there were serious concerns that the loons would not survive the winter there. Sea birds were dying, and vast numbers of bait fish, the loons’ food source, had been killed. Reports of sick and weak loons being found on Florida beaches were posted on social media throughout the winter. When we heard the loons calling again, we were overjoyed! They had survived and made it home!
On Sunday we took the boat out and did a survey of Lake Margaret and Upper Gull. We counted two pairs on Lake Margaret and five pairs on Upper Gull, which is one more than last year! We spotted Bertsie and Rum preparing a nest. We name all the loons on our lake, and Bertsie and Rum are named after the proprietors of Deauville, a legendary spot on Upper Gull in the old days. I am happy to report that the Bass Lake pair, Ray and Myrt, are also back and were seen fishing together.