Keep an Eye Out

Watch your loons closely. If any seem to be not acting normally, we could have a serious problem. Lead tackle is a major source of fatalities among loons. It weakens the birds which makes them more vulnerable to predators. They can have trouble flying, balancing, eating, nesting, or caring for young. A loon will die within 2-3 weeks of ingesting a piece of lead. It only takes one piece to kill a loon. Studies in the U.S. indicate that an average of one sinker is lost every six hours fishing. That means that there are nearly 3 million pounds (1500 tons) of lead sinkers and jigs accidentally deposited in our waters every year! That's just under 200 elephants.



If you see a loon that looks like it's in trouble, you should act immediately. You can capture the loon if you feel you can do so safely and correctly. Make sure that within an hour after capturing the loon you notify the DNR that you are in possession of the bird. Just leaving a message is fine. You can take it to a rehabilitation center if there is one nearby or you can call the local Ranger or even contact the Police Department. If you don't feel able to capture the loon on your own, you can contact any of the previously mentioned to help.

Heads Up

Photo by Ginger Gumm


Brrrr..It's getting chilly and that means it's time for the Loons to head South. Keep a look out for the changes in the number of Loons. It's going to be hard to tell the adults from the fledglings. It is likely that you will see lots of other birds who are also getting ready to head for warmer weather.



Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. The lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world are not reserved for scientists but are available to anyone who will place himself under the influence of earth, sea, and sky and their amazing life.
-- Rachel Carson


For more information on migration, check out these sites:

http://wpbowaterbirds.blogspot.com/
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/season/
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/images/graphics/h-l/loon_range.gifWisconsin Loons winter off the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts.

Eagle Scout Project Gone Loony

I am a high school senior living in a small suburb, Acton, west of Boston. As a Boy Scout, I recently began working on my Eagle Scout Project. After discussing an idea or two with the Natural Resources director of my town, I was given the idea of building loon nesting platforms for Nagog Pond, which lies between Acton and Littleton. This was something that an adult leader in my troop and the Natural Resources director of my town had been discussing for quite some time and were very interested in seeing happen. I also like the idea very much and found a lot of inspiration searching the internet for platforms designs.

My entire project consisted of not only leading fellow Scouts to construct the two platforms, but also researching and creating a plan for the building of the platforms and holding a fundraising effort to raise money for the materials needed. I then placed them on Nagog Pond with the help of Acton’s Natural Resources director and a representative from the Department of Water for Concord in Massachusetts.

The whole idea behind loon nesting platforms is that they float upon the water in lakes where loons are seen but no natural nesting locations exist, often because they have been destroyed by human interference. Thus the loons build their nests and hatch their young upon these platforms, safe from terrestrial predators. The birds must feel safe from other disturbances as well in order to nest on the platforms, so they are placed near the shore, in shallow water, and in areas with little disturbance from humans, sun, or wind. Taking all this into consideration, I also had to build the platforms to last since they would receive little maintenance, being an Eagle Scout Project. Nagog Pond is also a water reservoir, so any materials had to be safe and approved by the representative from the Concord Department of Water.

To best fit these needs, I built the platforms using PVC pipe to create a three-foot square frame, connected to a baseboard. Special modifications using liberal amounts of PVC glue and latex caulk were taken to ensure that the frames would not leak. After fitting the piping together, the frame was painted brown to better camouflage the platforms. The baseboard was constructed of a two-inch thick layer of insulation foam board wrapped in landscape fabric and plastic snow fencing to prevent chunks from breaking off into the water. A special feature of the platform is the chick ramps, which consist of a section of fire hose with one end wrapped around the PVC and the other trailing off into the water nailed to a wooden block for flotation. The chick ramps were designed so that baby loons could easily get back up onto the platforms. Lastly, sod was laid and secured on top of the platforms to provide a more comfortable nesting surface for the loons. When placed in the water, cinderblock anchors tied to the platforms at opposite ends kept them in place.




My hope for this project is that loons will find the platforms a suitable place to hatch their young. Loons have been known to migrate through the area and conserving the bird’s place in the ecosystem is very important. This would boost the ecological diversity of the town which is measured annually and help preserve the relatively natural state of Nagog Pond, a state which is sought by the Concord Department of Water.


For more information about loon artificial nesting platforms please visit
http://www.northland.edu/sigurd-olson-environmental-institute-loon-watch-nesting-platforms.htm

hello!

Hello everyone!
My name is Erin and I am new to Northland College and the Loonwatch Program. I am from Chicago and am very excited to be in Ashland. My plan currently is to major in Natural Resources and minor in Environmental Education and hopefully Outdoor Education as well. I will be posting here so I figured I would introduce myself.

Have a good one!
Erin

Fireworks on the Fourth of July

This morning I had a visit from a Loon Ranger from north central Wisconsin. As we spoke, I asked if her lake had chicks this year. She reported that the loons abandonded their nest on the Fourth of July when fireworks rippled across the evening sky. Eggs sat dormant in the nest for the next few weeks until something found them.

Every year we hear of loons who are disturbed by fireworks and leave their nest--typically within a week of the eggs hatching. This is very late to attempt a re-nest, which we have only seen on rare occasions.

If you would like to share your point of view on fireworks over lakes, please take less than 5 minutes to complete this survey:


http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/uwexlakes/survey/2009Summer/2009Summer.asp

Calling all loons

(Reprinted from Ironwood Daily Globe)

MERCER, Wis. -- Loons from all over came off the lake Wednesday and made their way to Mercer for its 29th annual Loon Day.

The biggest day of the year for Wisconsin's self-designated Loon Capital met its job requirements, drawing thousands to Mercer's downtown. Locals, their from-out-of-town relatives and art vendors from around the Midwest flocked to peruse more than 250 art booths, mingle outside Mercer restaurants and hear the annual loon calling contest.

This year's grand prize contest winner, Grace Burzinski, 12, and her family came from St. Louis to attend Loon Days. Burzinski's family travels north annually to visit her grandparents in Ironwood. Burzinski said she's gained most of her loon-calling skills while visiting the area; she listens to and then mimics families of loons on Echo Lake. When she's away from the Northwoods, Burzinski listens to loon calls on the Internet to practice.

Burzinski was the trophy winner for the 12 to 16 age group. Kendra Tutt, 10, of Mercer, was the 7 to 11 age group trophy winner; Mitch Pierce, 6, of Mercer, was the 2 to 6 age group trophy winner; and Mary Grogan, 41, of Hainesville, Ill., was the 17 and up age group trophy winner. Ribbons were also awarded for first, second and third places in each age group, in addition to the trophy winners.

"I listen to the tremolo call a lot online because it's the hardest to learn," Burinski said.

Independent DNR Secretary Hearing on August 13th

On Thursday, August 13th, the Senate Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing about SB 133- the bill to Restore the Independent DNR Secretary.

In 1995, the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources became a political appointee of the Governor. Concerns have surfaced. Should the WDNR Secretary be a political appointment or should they have experience in the field of natural resources and have worked their way to this position?

You can express your concerns on Thursday, August 13th, at 9:00 am at the State Capitol, Room 411 South, Madison, WI on this important issue.