News from the Loon Preservation Committee

e-Newsletter Vol. 63

In This Issue

Upcoming Events

Loon Cruises on
Squam Lake
Mondays & Fridays, June 5 - August 28;
3 pm

The Truth About Bats
July 27; 7:30 pm

The Swim
August 3

Flora & Fauna of the Lakes Region
August 3; 7:30 pm

Coyotes of New Hampshire
August 10; 7:30 pm

Carl Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament
August 14; 8 am shotgun start

Fish Lead Free

It's the law!

Stay Connected

Donate to LPC

Contact Us

P.O. Box 604

Lee's Mill Road

Moultonborough, NH 03254

[email protected]

July 15 was a great day for loons in New Hampshire! Thanks to everyone who went out from 8-9 am to participate in LPC's annual loon census. Census forms are still coming in, so stay tuned for results by mid-August.

Three-year old Addison Page joins her family for the loon census on Ossipee Lake. Photo courtesy of Bumpy Lillis.

Following the loon census was LPC's 40th Annual Loon Festival--approximately 300 people came to this fun event! Special thanks to our friends from the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center & the NH Lakes Association for joining us with their live animals and Watershed Warriors activity, respectively. The Meredith Rotary Club provided hot dogs, ice cream and cold drinks to festival-goers and Hannafords in Meredith & CJ Roxanne donated bottled water to the event. The Sweetbloods duo entertained guests with music on our screened porch, Mo the Clown delighted kids with his balloon creations, and LPC summer staff members, Caitlyn, Emily L. and Emily G., painted loons, superheroes, tigers and rainbows on the faces of kids and adults alike (yes, I left that day with a loon painted on my cheek!). After all of the field biologists had a turn in the dunk tank, LPC Senior Biologist John Cooley got in there at the end of the day! Maybe Harry (LPC Executive Director) will be in there next year--wouldn't that be fun?!

If that wasn't enough of a celebration, the New Hampshire Senate declared July 15, 2017 as "Loon Appreciation Day" to recognize our work to protect loons in NH and educate people about their needs. Here's the certificate that will be proudly displayed at The Loon Center!

In other news, the second webcam pair continues to sit on an inviable egg. One of the eggs was crushed earlier this week and was removed by the male. The videos of the discovery of the cracked egg and the removal of the egg are pretty interesting. There are also two great blog posts on our website explaining why the egg may have been crushed and also possible reasons for the inviable eggs. Check it out (you may have to scroll down just below the live feed)! At this point, we will keep the loon cam on until the loons abandon the nest for good. Hopefully for their sake that will happen sooner rather than later. Thanks, as always, for tuning in!

Summer is moving right along--it's hard to believe the field biologists only have 3 more weeks before the end of the field season. They have done a tremendous job, monitoring over 340 lakes statewide! They have observed approximately 170 nesting pairs and around 100 chicks have hatched so far with some pairs still sitting on eggs. Keep in mind these are preliminary numbers and will change as the summer goes on.

A 4-week old loon chick stays close to one of its parents on Pleasant Lake. Photo courtesy of Kittie Wilson.

Our Summer Nature Talk Series continues until August 24. The Swim is just around the corner on August 3. Wendy Van de Poll will once again lead her team of swimmers across the 7-mile length of Squam Lake to raise money for the Squam Lake Loon Initiative (SLLI). This is the 11th year the swimmers have made the journey across the lake for loon preservation--their dedication is so admirable! Join us at the Sandwich Town Beach around 12 pm on August 3 to welcome them back to shore! To read the latest SLLI report, click here. Lastly, the 7th Annual Carl Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament will be held at the Ridgewood Country Club in Moultonborough on August 14. Get your clubs and shoes ready!

All the best,

First Loon Cam Chick is Doing Well!

I know a lot of viewers are disappointed with the outcome of the second loon cam nest. It does give us a better insight into what these loons are dealing with and how hard it really is for them to successfully hatch and then fledge a chick (or two) on our lakes.

I am excited to report, though, that the chick from LPC's first webcam is doing well! Below are a few photos taken on July 15. A huge thank you to Nordel Gagnon for capturing these pictures!

The "famous" loon chick, 4 weeks old here, stays close to both of its parents as they swim around the lake.

In the picture above you can see the chick is just beginning to molt into its juvenal plumage and will lose its downy feathers along the way. It will take approximately 6-7 more weeks before all of the feathers have grown in (flight feathers included) and it has the characteristic loon shape. You can learn more about the chick plumage sequence here.

We will share any additional updates on this loon family when we can. The inviable egg that was collected from this nest has not been opened yet, but we will fill you in as soon as that happens.

The Loon Preservation Committee is dedicated to restoring and maintaining a healthy population of loons throughout New Hampshire; monitoring the health and productivity of loon populations as sentinels of environmental quality; and promoting a greater understanding of loons and the natural world.

Sincerely,

Susie Burbidge

Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator

Loon Preservation Committee