Fall is coming! Over the weekend I saw some leaves that were starting to change. Before we know it, we will be surrounded by a sea of color! Leaves are not the only thing that change color at this time of year. Adult loons molt back into their winter plumage, beginning at the base of the bill followed by their head and neck. As I've mentioned in previous emails, the timing of molt can vary quite a bit between individual loons.
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Photo courtesy of L. Dinger.
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I was especially happy to see the picture of the loon above because it's the male from webcam #1. If we zoom out a bit (see photo below) you can just make out the green band on his left leg. Volunteers on the lake have only been seeing one adult, so the female may have left already. That might not surprise you considering how long she was gone after the chicks hatched! In all seriousness, though, both adults usually leave the lakes by October or November, leaving the chicks to fend for themselves.
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The chick that is still on the lake from webcam #1 is doing well. You can see in the pictures below, taken in early September, that it is fully feathered and about the same size as the adult.
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A wing flap shows a beautiful set of flight feathers. They will come in handy when this young loon makes its first journey to the ocean where it will stay for the next few years.
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Photos courtesy of L. Dinger.
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According to our friends at Avian Haven the other chick from webcam #1 is also doing well. I'm not sure exactly when it will be released but we will keep you posted and hopefully have some pictures to share from its first swim in saltwater!
When LPC Senior Biologist, John Cooley, was pulling the nest raft last week, he was able to locate the chick from webcam #2. The loon family was trying to elude us by shifting their brooding area, but he found one adult and the remaining chick all doing well! The other adult must have been off fishing somewhere because both adults have been seen on our around the territory over the last few weeks. I know a lot of you are sad the second chick didn't make it (especially if it was a result of sibling rivalry or being excluded from the family) but please remember that getting one loon chick off of a loon territory is a BIG success!
We had a great turnout for the Carl Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament! Eighty golfers participated this year under sunny skies at Ridgewood Country Club in Moultonborough. The winning foursome was Team Leighton—Brad, Nick and Brent Leighton along with Garrett Lavallee—setting a 20 under par record at Ridgewood for a scramble tournament! Many thanks to our Prime Sponsors—Mill Falls at the Lake, Overhead Door Options, and Shoreline Marine Upholstery—as well as our Golf Ball Sponsor—Meredith Village Savings Bank. We are also grateful to the 28 hole sponsors for their support, and our sign sponsor—Saltmarsh Insurance Agency. Finally, a big “thank you” to Carl Johnson Jr. for chairing the tournament again this year!
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Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly.
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A few days later, we had a full house at our Annual Meeting on August 23 and more than 50 volunteers joined us for the potluck beforehand. Seventeen year old Ryan Buchanan was presented the
Spirit of the Loon
award for his great work over the last 5 years organizing the "Save the Loons" fishing derby on Chocorua Lake. The meeting continued with a presentation by Nature Photographer John Rockwood and then LPC Senior Biologist/Executive Director Harry Vogel presented preliminary results from the 2018 season. Overall we saw an increase in the number of nesting pairs, chicks hatched and chicks surviving. It was nice to see an increase in these numbers this year, but we still have a long way to go to get back to historical numbers. Thank you all for your support in getting us this far! Stay tuned for a detailed summary of the 2018 season in our upcoming Fall Newsletter.
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It's not too late to purchase your
raffle tickets
for a chance to win one of three great prizes. You can pick them up when you visit The Loon Center or call 603-476-5666 to order them over the phone. The drawing will be held at LPC's Holiday Open House on Saturday, November 24. It's right around the corner so make sure to save the date for this fun family event!
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Before I sign off, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read my emails. This is the last one I will be sending as I am moving on from LPC, but I am passing the torch to my co-worker and friend, Caroline Hughes. Caroline has been working as the Field Program Coordinator for the last three summers and many of you have spoken to her in person or on the phone to report loon sightings or loons in distress. She has agreed to step in as the Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator until next spring. I have been so fortunate to be a part of this amazing organization since 2009 and I will continue to help LPC as a volunteer! I look forward to hearing the news and updates as we continue to make great strides for loons in New Hampshire.
All the best,
Susie
Susie Burbidge
Loon Preservation Committee
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September 20; 7 pm
Trinidad & Tobago
October 18; 7 pm
Forest Fires of the White Mountains
November 15; 7 pm
November 24; 10 am - 2 pm
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Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly
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2018 Loon Census Results
This year, 513 observers covered 126 of New Hampshire’s lakes during the annual loon census on July 21, just over one third of the lakes that LPC surveys and monitors annually. A few new waterbodies including Caldwell Pond in Alstead, Contention Pond in Hillsborough, and Governor’s Lake in Raymond were added to the census list this year along with over 50 new census volunteers as well.
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Six loons were counted on Eastman Pond in Grantham during the 8-9 o'clock hour on July 21. Photo courtesy of Maynard Wheeler.
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Census participants were of all ages from elementary school students to retirees and everywhere in between.
On one lake in our Seacoast monitoring region, the loon census is really a family affair spanning four generations! That's what makes the loon census such a neat event!
On the loon end of things, volunteers counted a total of 469 adult loons, 5 immature loons (1-2 years old) and 86 loon chicks. The census gives us an idea of how the loon population is doing mid-season, but all of the lakes that we monitor annually are not covered during the census, so these results are rolled into our season-long monitoring. These numbers will increase after they are combined with reports from the field staff and other volunteers. Again, a full recap of the 2018 breeding season will be in our Fall Newsletter due out in November.
Many thanks to everyone who participated in the loon census. I was excited to see an increase in participation over last year. Save the date for the 2019 loon census on Saturday, July 20!
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A juvenile loon gets ready to stretch its wings on a lake in the Monadnock region.
Photo courtesy of N. Morris.
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Loon Preservation Committee | 603-476-LOON (5666) | www.loon.org
Loon Center Hours: Open 7 days/week; 9 am to 5 pm
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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.
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