The Loons are back!!!

It’s finally happened … the ice is finally out! Now it's time to get the docks in and the cabins ready for arrival of guests.

They have been very vocal … it’s like they’re having a huge ‘family reunion’.

The Loon is Minnesota’s state bird. Because its legs are attached so far back on its body, it has a hard time walking but it’s a great swimmer. They like clear water, like Big Mantrap Lake, because they use their eyesight to hunt for fish.

Loons migrate south for the winter to either the Gulf or Atlantic coasts where they eat salt water fish. They have the unique ability to excrete ingested salt through glands located at the base of their bill, something other freshwater birds can’t do. The Loons also change their plumage when they’re south. They loose the dramatic black and white pattern and turn a dirty gray and they even ride lower in the water. Worst of all, they also loose their Loon calls and go completely mute. It’s like a whole different bird!

More about loons later, now it’s time to continue to get ready for another fun summer.