July 16, 2011: An Important Day for Loons in New Hampshire

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the annual Loon Census.  One hundred twenty-four lakes were covered by 572 observers throughout the state!  A total of 517 adult loons, 91 chicks and 13 immature loons were counted between 8-9 am. 

July 16th was also recognized by the New Hampshire State Senate as "Loon Appreciation Day" to honor loons and to encourage the protection of one of NH's greatest icons.

Loons have come to be recognized as a symbol of the natural beauty of New Hampshire's lakes and ponds, and as key indicators of environmental quality. Recent declines in loon breeding success and increases in mortality from lead tackle and other stressors have resulted in concerns about the future of loons in the state.

Photo by Rachel Williams

By Adam Drapcho (From The Laconia Daily Sun)

With European settlers came other troubles for the loons, first came water quality issues caused by agriculture or industry, then lead poisoning from fishing tackle and more recently hazards associated with power boating. Despite these pressures, the loons have continued to fly in from their saltwater winter homes to breed at local lakes. However, those who closely study the state's loon population say the bird's reproductive rates have been below the level considered sustainable over the past several years - and nowhere has this decline been as stark as on Squam Lake.

Research into that decline has pointed toward an apparent contamination of the lake which has resulted in several harmful chemicals turning up in high concentrations in the eggs which failed to hatch. After six worrisome years loon advocates are beginning to cross their fingers with hope that Squam Lake's loon population might be on the mend.

In the fall of 2004, as loons do every year, the 16 pairs that had made Squam Lake their summer home migrated to the Atlantic Ocean. The first sign of trouble came when only nine of those pairs returned, representing a drop of 44-percent of the lake's adult population, a decline not seen since the Loon Preservation Committee began to survey the population in 1975. Nearby lakes did not see similar declines. Even more troubling, those loons who returned experienced what the committee's biologists refer to as "near-complete reproductive failure," with precious few eggs proving viable.

To read the full article please click here.