Q: I recently found a loon egg on the shore in front of our cabin, which is strange, because the loon nest is located on the other end of the lake. Any thoughts?
A: It's a shame about the loon egg, and I'm thinking a predator may have stolen it out of the loon's nest, then dropped it near your cabin for some reason. There's a long list of creatures that prey on loon eggs, including raccoons, ravens, bald eagles, mink, gulls, crows, skunks and foxes. Once the chicks hatch and start swimming, you can add snapping turtles, northern pike and muskies to the list. A loon has to beat pretty heavy odds in order to reach adulthood.
Couldn't 'dees save energy?
Q: Something puzzles me about the birds at my feeders. I notice that finches will sit on the feeder eating seeds for long periods, while chickadees fly in, get one seed, and then fly off. This doesn't seem to make sense, given the high energy demand of constantly flying back and forth, especially in the winter. The finch strategy seems much more conducive to survival.
A: I like how observant you are of the birds coming to your feeders, and you're right, finches have a very different feeding style from chickadees. It comes down to their beaks: House finches and goldfinches have good, sturdy beaks, built for crushing seed shells to get to the good stuff inside. Chickadee beaks are much smaller and function best when the little birds snatch a seed from a feeder, then perch on a branch with the seed between their toes. They peck it open with their tiny beaks, then eat the seed meat inside. This surely is more energy-expensive than the finch approach, but it works for chickadees.
Osprey nests
Q: I spotted an osprey nest on top of a light pole in a park and it made me wonder: Do osprey reuse their big stick nests?
A: Yes, they do reuse their nests, and add new sticks before each new nesting season. These big fishing hawks prefer to nest on tall trees near water, but sometimes use light towers, channel markers and human-made nest platforms.
