8334-R3_ML&P_LSLA_2023_SummerNewsletter_Web

Sebago Loonacy

loss. In one instance (Brigg’s Island Cove), it is believed that the constant presence of a third adult in the territory may have caused the nest to be abandoned. It may also be that these territorial aggressions are playing a role in our low nest fidelity rate. The initial findings reinforce the importance of collecting this data in future years to monitor trends over time. It’s important to note that the 2022 reproductive productivity was greatly aided by the human intervention of trained Loon Rangers. Two chicks were rescued during attacks from intruding loons, most assuredly saving their lives, and thereby altering the outcome of the breeding season. Both chicks were released back onto the lake after successfully being reared in captivity. You can see more about these rescued and released chicks in last fall’s newsletter archive. One of the two chicks survived to fledge. Both were counted as fledged, however, since they had both passed six weeks of age when they were returned to the lake. Without the survival of these two chicks our reproductive success rate would have been at a worrisome third year of low numbers. Another accomplishment and enhancement to our program in 2022 was the construction and launching of four new floating nest rafts. It is our hope that these nesting rafts will aid in protecting

nests from water level fluctuations from weather events, and from wake disturbances. Only one of our rafts have been used by the breeding loons thus far but it often takes a few years for our territorial pairs to acclimate to the new structure and put it to use. Looking forward to 2023 we are excited to announce that we will be launching a live stream “Loon Cam”. We will set up this Camera on a frequently successful nest site so that we all can watch and learn about nest building, incubation, and hopefully witness the hatching of one or more eggs. Watch for an announcement on our Little Sebago Loon Watch Facebook page sometime in late April or early May with a link on the Lake Association website to watch the live stream. A huge thank you to the Loon Preservation Committee of New Hampshire for their help in making this happen. Lastly, I’d like to thank all those of you who watch and love our Loon families, and to applaud our Loon Rangers for their continued dedication and hard work. Feel free to reach out through the Little Sebago Loon Watch FaceBook page to share loon adventures or if you see anything of concern. Sharon Young, Program Coordinator Little Sebago Loon Monitoring & Conservation Phone & Test: 207-632-0075 Email: syoung0252@gmail.com

Sand Island Mom and chicks

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