Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are enjoying the beginning of 2019! Here at LPC, we hoped for a relatively calm start to the year. Since my last loon update in December, most of New Hampshire's lakes and ponds have frozen over, and we thought it was likely that our ice rescues had ended for the year. After all,
ice in has even been declared
on Lake Winnipesaukee by now!
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Given that, imagine our surprise when we came into the office last Monday morning and immediately received a phone call reporting an iced-in loon on Spofford Lake in southern New Hampshire!
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The iced-in loon on Spofford Lake, trapped in a small patch of open water. Photo courtesy of Gary Galka.
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As mentioned in December's E-Newsletter, iced in loons are incredibly vulnerable because their mobility is severely limited. They are less able to evade predators and it is more difficult for them to catch enough fish to sustain themselves. The caller informed us that the loon on Spofford Lake was being repeatedly harrassed by an eagle. Fortunately, the loon had just enough open water to be able to dive, stay under for a bit, and resurface. It had been able to remain out of the eagle's clutches so far; however, the patch of water the loon was in was small. With temperatures below freezing in the area, it was uncertain how long the water would remain open. Without action being taken to intervene, it was possible that the the open water the loon was in would freeze over, forcing the loon up onto the ice where it would have very little hope of escaping from predators. Time was of the essence!
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LPC Senior Biologist John Cooley immediately jumped into action. After alerting the local fire department, John began the 2+ hour drive to Spofford Lake. Upon arriving, John (with landowner Gary Galka and NH Fish and Game biologist Ted Walski providing support from shore) made his way out to the loon. The rescue was not an easy one-the loon was vigorous enough to dive and stay under the water for minutes and during one netting attempt, the ice beneath John gave way. Fortunately, John was wearing an insulated, waterproof rescue suit and had a tether running back to the crew on shore, so he was not harmed.
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Ice rescues are a dangerous business-even those with lots of experience can fall through the ice. LPC has protocols in place to ensure our staff's safety during rescues-John was wearing an insulated, waterproof suit and had people on shore ready to assist when he fell through the ice on Spofford Lake. This is precisely why we ask members of the public to call us rather than attempting to rescue iced-in loons themselves! Photos courtesy of Gary Galka.
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One hour and several swipes of the net later, the loon was finally captured. It was taken to local wildlife rehabilitator Maria Colby. There, she and John weighed it, tested its blood for lead, and assessed its health. They decided that the loon would stay with Maria overnight to rest, eat, and recover its strength.
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The next morning, John banded the loon before releasing it onto the ocean at Odiorne Point. Similarly to the juvenile loon rescued from Willand Pond in December, it is unlikely that we will see this loon for at least a few more years. The loon hatched this year (as evidenced by the pattern of its plumage), and loon chicks generally remain on the ocean until their third summer of life. At that point, they develop their adult plumage and return to inland lakes to search for a breeding territory of their own.
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Wildlife Rehabilitator Maria Colby holds the rescued loon while LPC Senior Biologist John Cooley puts bands onto its legs. The color combination of these bands is unique to this loon and will enable us to identify it when it is resighted in the future. Photo courtesy of Wings of the Dawn Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation.
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LPC Senior Biologist John Cooley prepares to release the loon. Photo courtesy of Wings of the Dawn Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation.
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The loon stretches its wings after being released. Photo courtesy of Wings of the Dawn Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation.
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We can't be sure that this loon will actually end up breeding in New Hampshire in the future. Spofford Lake may have been a stopover site along this loon's migration path to the ocean. It is possible that it was hatched on a lake somewhere else in New Hampshire, but it could also have come from Vermont or even Canada! We look forward to seeing where it turns up in the future!
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The rescued loon moves further out to sea. Can you find it?
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With this ice rescue completed, we hope that all of the loons in New Hampshire have finally made it to the ocean. We have recently received a few photos of wintering loons, which I am excited to share with you here. If you are at the coast and happen to capture a photo of a wintering loon, please feel free to send them in!
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Correction from the December E-Newsletter: This photo of a wintering loon was taken by Sharon Grader in Scituate Massachusetts.
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This wintering loon was seen in Nova Scotia. Photo courtesy of Reigh Higgins.
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All the best,
Caroline
Caroline Hughes
Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator
Loon Preservation Committee
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LPC's Annual Appeal donation drive is ongoing! If you'd like to help fund our work, including these loon rescues, please click
HERE
! All donations are tax deductible.
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Loon Preservation Committee | 603-476-LOON (5666) | www.loon.org
Loon Center Hours: Open Thursday through Saturday, 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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