Two Dramatic Loon Rescues |
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Greetings!
On Wednesday, July 14th, we received a call at the Loon Center about a loon in distress on Lake Skatutakee in Harrisville. After multiple days of heavy rain, the lake level had increased, creating a current that washed the male loon of the lake's breeding pair over the dam and into Nubanusit Brook below. The loon had been swept roughly a quarter of a mile down Nubanusit Brook, and the caller had found it sitting in a relatively calm spot of water near a bridge on the East View trail. Unfortunately, water levels in Nubanusit Brook were high, and the loon was out of reach and surrounded by heavy currents. While LPC biologists Elaina Badders and Mary Caffrey gathered the necessary equipment for a rescue, we called Brett Amy Thelen, Science Director at the Harris Center for Conservation Education, to see if she could keep an eye on the loon until Mary and Elaina arrived. Brett enthusiastically agreed, and within 15 minutes she was on site watching the loon.
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The loon in its initial position below the dam. Video courtesy of Brett Amy Thelen and Russ Cobb. |
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By the time Mary and Elaina arrived, the loon had swam into the current and been swept further downstream and out of sight, traveling through stretches of raging rapids. Mary, Elaina, Brett, and her husband, Russ Cobb, searched for the loon along the brook, following it half a mile through the woods. Unfortunately, as they searched, the conditions became more and more dangerous. The brook was flooding its banks, and some sections had dangerous currents. When a thunderstorm began, the rescue team knew it would be too hazardous for them to continue, and they ended their search for the night. At this point, we began to lose hope that we would be able to help this loon. The brook meanders through densely forested area for miles, and it was unclear whether the loon would continue downstream or find a calm spot where it could haul itself onshore. It seemed improbable that the loon could be located. |
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A section of rapids that the loon traveled through. Video courtesy of Brett Amy Thelen and Russ Cobb. |
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The next morning, Brett and Russ returned to the area, determined to locate the loon. They walked a quarter of a mile up the East View Trail before cutting off trail towards the brook. After another quarter mile of bushwhacking, they still had not located the loon. They were on the verge of giving up the search when they heard it call in the distance. Following the noise, Brett and Russ located the loon, which had managed to pull itself out of the brook and onto the shore. They called us at LPC, and LPC biologist Mary Caffrey returned to the area to help carry the loon back to the trailhead. After a half mile trek carrying the loon, Mary, Brett, and Russ loaded it into a box and transported it to Maria Colby of Wings of the Dawn Wildlife Rehabilitation for an exam and observation. Though its feet were a bit scraped up, the loon had no major injuries or underlying problems, and it demonstrated that it was able to swim, dive, and catch fish. After a night of observation by Maria, the loon was banded on Friday morning and returned to its lake, where it reunited with its mate and two young chicks. This incredible rescue would not have been possible without a dedicated team of people looking out for the loon, and we are so thankful to Judi Lang and Dave Birchenough who first reported the loon, Brett Amy Thelen and Russ Cobb who worked tirelessly to locate it when hope seemed to be lost, LPC Biologist Mary Caffrey who transported the loon through the woods and to the rehab facility, and Maria Colby who cared for the loon and ensured it was fit for release. Thanks to this dedicated team, this loon got a second chance, and its chicks once again have two parents caring for them.
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LPC Biologist, Mary Caffrey, carries the loon out of the woods. Video courtesy of Brett Amy Thelen and Russ Cobb. |
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Brett Amy Thelen holds the loon prior to its transport to Wings of the Dawn Wildlife Rehabilitation. Photo courtesy of Mary Caffrey. |
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LPC Biologist Elaina Badders and volunteer Russ Cobb released the loon back onto its lake on Friday. |
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While the Skatutakee rescue was going on, there was another New Hampshire loon also in need of help. On Wednesday night, an LPC crew set out on what we thought would be a routine banding trip on Mascoma Lake in Enfield. Aside from some thick fog, the banding trip appeared relatively routine at first glance: we captured both members of the pair and their chick, and all loons were acting normally. The next day, as we ran our routine tests on the blood collected from the adult loons the previous night, we discovered a problem: the male loon of the pair had a blood lead level of 25.8 micrograms per deciliter. This is an elevated lead level for a loon, approaching but not quite at the fatal level. We knew that if we did not recapture this loon and remove the lead object from his gizzard, his condition would decline rapidly and he would die of lead poisoning. |
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On Thursday Night, LPC Field Biologists Phil Keefe, Mary Caffrey, and Jayden Jech returned to Mascoma Lake. Armed with a spotlight and a capture net, they once again searched for the loon family. Fortunately, the rescue attempt went smoothly, and within an hour they had the loon in hand. Just after midnight, the loon was transported to Maria Colby. The next morning, a radiograph revealed a lead object in the loon's gizzard. The loon was transported to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic at the Cummings Veterinary Medical Center for a gastric lavage—a process in which small volumes of fluid are used to flush items from the stomach and digestive tract. |
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A radiograph revealed a lead object in the loon's gizzard (the bright white object visible in the lower left portion of this image). Photo courtesy of Maria Colby. |
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Typically, loons do not display signs of lead poisoning until they are so debilitated that it is too late to save them. We are fortunate that our banding work allowed us to catch this case of lead poisoning early on, before the loon began displaying symptoms. Though this loon's future is still uncertain, it has a chance of survival. We are hopeful that with the lead object removed and after a few days of treatment, we may be able to get it back on its lake with its mate and chick. This loon faces a rocky road ahead, and its story is a reminder to all to make the switch to non-lead, loon-safe tackle. The smallest piece of lead fishing tackle can cause fatal lead poisoning in a loon. We encourage all to clean out their tackle boxes and get rid of any lingering lead tackle. We'll even pay you to do so! LPC's Lead Tackle Buyback program is ongoing—if you have lead tackle to get rid of and would like to receive a $10 voucher in return, please visit loonsafe.org for a list of participating retailers. The person who turns in the highest amount of tackle at each shop will receive a $100 prize, and the person who turns in the second highest amount of tackle will receive $50.
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Unfortunately, the planning, coordination, and execution of the Mascoma rescue preempted our scheduled Thursday Night Nature Talk on July 16th. We sincerely apologize to presenter Iain Macleod and to all who wished to attend the presentation for the inconvenience.
All the best,
Caroline
Caroline Hughes
Volunteer and Outreach Biologist
Loon Preservation Committee
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Loon Preservation Committee | 603-476-LOON (5666) | www.loon.org |
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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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