First off, I'm happy to report the loon family that we were all watching so closely on the live web cam is doing great!  I have included a photo of the camera below in case you were wondering what it looks like.

Friday marked the last day of our field season.  The 2014 field crew was led once again by Senior Biologist John Cooley & Staff Biologist Chris Conrod.  It's a sad day for all of us in the office when we say goodbye to these smiling faces.

The 2014 field crew at the end of another successful Loon Festival.  Matthew is looking quite eager for another turn in the dunk tank!

By early August, we documented a total of 203 nesting pairs around the state that hatched 191 chicks.  Of the 191 chicks hatched, 157 chicks are surviving.  Nesting success is higher on Winnipesaukee than any of the other monitoring regions around the state largely due to intensive management by LPC. One in three of the chicks hatched this year on Winnipesaukee came from nest rafts floated by the Loon Preservation Committee.  Stay tuned for the detailed season- long report in the upcoming fall newsletter.  

 Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2014 Loon Census.  Results will be shared in the next e-newsletter but it looks like we had another record volunteer turnout!  The Loon Festival was also a big success with over 250 attendees. Special thanks to CG Roxane and Hannaford for donating water to the event.  Meredith Rotary provided hot dogs and ice-cream, Mo the Clown created amazing balloon creatures, LPC volunteer Jo Putnam shared stories with the kids, and the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center brought a few live animals including a barred owl and a mink.  Thanks to all of the volunteers and staff for making it a success!

On a sad note, we did collect another lead-poisoned loon from Lake Winnipesaukee on July 18.  The loon was collected near the Lanes End Marina in Melvin Village after it beached itself.  It was transported to Meadow Pond Animal Hospital in Moultonborough for a blood test and x-rays. Radiographs showed a lead-headed fishing jig (a lead weight molded around a hook), and blood lead levels were at toxic levels, so the loon was immediately euthanized.

 We are hosting three volunteer potlucks later this month to thank our volunteers for their help and dedication throughout the summer.  Please see below for more details.

 Enjoy the rest of your weekend,