CENTRAL, Minnesota — From Larry Backlund's backyard, you can hear all kinds of birds.
"We've got a little bit of everything," Backlund said. "We've got swans; we've got geese; we've got eagles."
But above all, they have loons.
"Once you hear the call of a loon, it is something you never forget in your life," Backlund said.
In 2004, Backlund made an artificial nesting platform to go out on the lake behind his home.
"I didn't have a clue what I was doing," Backlund recalled. "Amazingly, the loons were kind enough to actually come and use it."
They have used it nearly every year since; Backlund said he can remember only two years when it wasn't used.
"Most people knew it from the loon cam," Backlund said.
The Minnesota Bound Live Loon Cam drew in millions of views from people across the world.
"Everybody saw things that we had never seen before. We learned so much and loon researchers were watching it. It was a pretty special thing," Backlund said.
2019 was the last year for the Live Loon Cam before it was canceled. But Backlund has carried on the tradition.
Minnesota is home to about 12,000 loons — the largest in the continental U.S.
According to the Minnesota Loon Monitoring Program 2023 Annual Report from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the state's adult loon population remains stable with small increases observed in some areas and small decreases in others over the past 30 years. However, the number of chicks has dropped by about .6% each year.
The report stated, "The long-term declines we have detected appear to be very gradual, and there could be more than one explanation for these trends. We are in the process of formulating testable hypotheses that we can challenge with additional data including the possibility that these apparent declines are influenced by development activities around lakes, increased recreation, extreme weather events, species-wide population declines, and others."
This year, Backlund has spotted two eggs on the nest. He does not disclose the location of the nest.
"Unfortunately, it looks like in the last few days they may have abandoned the nest," Backlund said.
He has not spotted the pair at the nest in the past three days.
"They nested later than I have ever seen in those 20 some years. So why that difference and now maybe abandoning the nest, we'll see what happens," Backlund said.
Backlund will wait a bit longer before contacting the Minnesota DNR.
He said, "I think almost any Minnesotan, we love our loons and we look forward to seeing them and just to hear them calling."
Backlund recommends those out on the lake who spot a loon stay at least 300 feet away and be especially careful around loons with chicks.
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