Loon Chick Still Here!
We still have a loon chick in Green's Basin. The other chick left long ago. It is getting late in the season. The Loon Preservation Committee said we shouldn't worry because it has been so unseasonably warm. As long as it leaves while there is still open water to take flight everything will be alright. I am wondering if anyone else is still seeing chick on the lake??? I remember one year when a number of loons died on the ice in the broads because they didn't have enough open water to take flight.
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Where are the parents?
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Is it usual for the parents to leave the chicks? |
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Is there a loon conservationist that can determine if a resue is needed?
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See the original post...
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Hopefully the chick will have its natural instincts kick in soon, and take a tour of the coast. |
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Loons are very strong fliers; however they are not very good at taking off, due to their heavy body weight and small wings. The heavy body weight is due in large part to the fact that they have solid bones unlike most other species of birds that have hollow bones. The heavy solid bones make them excellent divers and handicaps their ability to take off. Loons weigh close to 10 lbs. with a 46-inch wingspan. To put this in context, Great Blue Herons average 5.3 pounds with a 72-inch wingspan. Loons have trouble flying if only one flight feather is missing. Once the lake starts to freeze; if it is still out there, it will need to be rescued. |
Yes, normally the parents leave before the chicks. I have worried more than once about a chick leaving so late, but they always did. But I know exactly how you feel GBG!! I worry about them like they are my pets too!! Well, almost.
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" Happy Holidays" |
Just wondering here, with zero wildlife conservation knowledge...
If a loon chick (or other critter) isn't going to make it, is there a scenario where capturing (rescuing?) it can help further scientific study? |
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A different but related example is the deer population that is out of control in much of New England. Unlike the Loon population the deer population is very unbalanced. Recently, at Blue Hill reservation in Massachusetts there was a deer hunt to manage down the population which is running at 85 a square mile well above the 10 deer a square mile that wildlife experts consider healthy. These populations are out of balance since there are no natural predators, or certainly not enough of them, due to development. The result is an epidemic of Lyme disease and many, many deer and car collisions. Despite this situation the "conservationists" were throwing themselves at the hunters' cars in an effort to stop the hunt. I just don't understand these people. That is my rant for the evening. |
It's the same old story nobody cares about or protests fishing but kill a "cute" Deer or Rabbit and people are upset. I'm not speaking for or against personally just sayin...
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I was told they are pretty much impossible to catch unless they are so weak and sick they can't dive anymore, otherwise you can't get close to them unless they are trying to figure out if they can eat you.
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If this weather continues, the issue may be moot. There will be open water until the others come back! :eek:
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UH OH- that must mean ice and cooler weather is on it's way! Thanks for keeping us posted! And I am glad you worried!!
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I guess the chick never really left. We saw it again in the basin.
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Interesting article about "Lingering Loons" in the Laconia sun today
http://www.laconiadailysun.com/ |
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I wonder how humans survived for the 10,000 years before there were "Doctors"? Not trying to be flip but sometimes we need to let nature take its course. Perhaps this human is weak or diseased in some way and as a result its time has come? Oh how times have changed. |
The two loon chicks are still in Green's Basin!
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Now THAT makes me nervous! It doesn't seem right for them to still be there with the ice beginning to form.
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We spoke with the Loon Center again. They are concerned, but they will only rescue the loons when they are totally trapped by ice. We have to keep an eye on them I guess.
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They have no way to catch them if they are healthy.
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We think they are finally gone.
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Fingers Crossed!!!!!
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Loon call over Paugus Bay today
I just heard a loon call on Paugus Bay. It sounded like it was coming from the Lakeshore Drive side of the Bay. I hope the loon will be ok.
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The loon is in the middle of the bay
I took out my binoculars and noticed the loon out in the middle of the bay swimming in a small water hole. I just called the loon preservation to see if it could be helped.
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Some loons are captured over and over again and end up wit a series on bands. The banding program is covered here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSfm9QZMkKM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSWsrvQFQkA Dozen of video's Just "google" Common Loon Night Banding Interesting Loon fact.. •Loons are more closely related to penguins than to any North American waterfowl. https://americanexpedition.us/common-loon-facts |
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Really know need to worry about a Loon in winter. If we actually get ice, The bird could be at the ocean in a few hours. They don't go to San Diego for the winter.
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Loon Preservation Society to the rescue...
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https://www.facebook.com/Loon-Preser...1575179188699/ |
Loon Update
Received from the Loon Preservation Committee:
Greetings! January 2016 might go down in the books as the busiest month for live loon winter rescues in LPC's 40-year history. All told, LPC Senior Biologist John Cooley rescued 7 loons trapped in the ice--one on Broad Bay in Freedom, one on Highland Lake in Stoddard, and five on Lake Sunapee near Newbury, NH. The trend continued into February with one more iced-in loon rescued from Paugus Bay on February 1. Along with two crash landing cases that came in to New Hampshire rehabilitators in January, we've already seen 10 rescues in 2016. The successful capture on Paugus Bay was overshadowed by the fact that this was another lead-poisoned loon. Wildlife rehabilitators at Avian Haven used chelation therapy to absorb the lead from its bloodstream. A week after its rescue, the blood lead level was down to 2.5 ug/dl and the loon was diving well, preening, eating, and its overall fitness appeared to be strong, so it was released on February 9 in Penobscot Bay where two other loons were visible from shore! |
My wife and I were very saddened to hear from John Cooley the loon rescued by him on Paugus Bay had traces of lead. We understood this was not good news. What we did not know at the time, until we did research and talked to some of the folks at the Loon Preservation Society and Avian Haven, was the largest known cause of New Hampshire adult loon mortality is ingestion of fishing tackle made of the toxic metal lead.
The Loon Preservation Committee has published a lot content on loons and lead and can be found at: http://www.loon.org/loon-lead-overview.php Again, our thanks go out to the Loon Preservation Committee and Avain Haven for rescuing, treating and releasing this loon. We are wishing one of the Sunapee loons, also poisoned by lead, will soon be released. The wonderfull work of Avain Haven can be read at: http://www.avianhaven.org/ https://www.facebook.com/Avian-Haven-381894018553252/ And the Loon Preservation Society at: https://www.facebook.com/Loon-Preser...1575179188699/ |
Thank you, Long Bay, for being a major factor in saving this loon!
R2B |
Another iced-in loon rescued on the lake...
Another iced-in loon was rescued the other day on the lake. Hopefully, this loon will also be released shortly as well.
https://www.facebook.com/Loon-Preser...188699/?ref=nf |
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