STOWE, Vt. (AP) - The once-endangered common loon is making a comeback in Vermont, but not without the help of humans across the state who build islands for the birds.
Loon biologist with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies Eric Hanson has been leading the group’s efforts to manage loon populations in the state.
On July 15, Hanson, volunteers from the conservation group Friends of Waterbury Reservoir and Park Ranger Chad Ummel met at the northern part of Waterbury Reservoir to grab some canoes and kayaks and paddled out to build a nesting raft for the pair of loons that call the artificial lake home.
The raft the crew put together on the reservoir was made from a base of cedar logs. Hanson sawed notches on the logs so they fit together like Lincoln Logs.
Next, the crew laid down a sheet of plastic and metal material that is used to make lobster traps which holds the vegetation and serves as a platform for the birds.
After the foundation of the raft, the crew added soil and vegetation to provide the birds with cover and to make the raft look as much like a small island as possible.
“This is so cool to be a part of this, we’ve all been tracking loons and monitoring loons for years,” volunteer Shelia Goss said. “Hopefully we can get the loons to love it and come back and nest here.”
In 1978 the Vermont Institute of National Sciences started doing loon surveys throughout the state and found only 20 pairs, Hanson said.
Five years later, the loon population crashed to 12 pairs and 7 nests throughout the entire state, he said.
“It was a mixture of water level fluctuations, disturbance, shoreline development and loss of habitat that’s caused their decline,” Hanson said.
By the mid-90s, thanks to Hanson and others who work with landowners, water lovers and hydroelectric companies that have a significant impact on loon habitats, the birds are making a comeback in the Green Mountain State.
When Hanson joined the project, he wanted to turn over the work and responsibility of stewardship for these iconic birds over to the citizens and on July 15, he did just that in Stowe.
Buzz and Nellie, the pair of loons named by volunteer Shelia Goss, built a nest on a mudflat in the northern part of the reservoir. On June 19, heavy rainfall caused the water level to rise and flooded the nest, Hanson said.
In a reservoir, the water levels tend to rise and fall more dramatically than in a naturally occurring lake. The rafts are able to float and move with the water without going under.
“The reason rafts work is because they mimic an Island and for whatever reason loons like Islands,” Hanson said.
According to Hanson, where loons like to call home often intersects with places Vermonters also like to enjoy the state’s nature.
Loons can become stressed very easily so Vermont Center for Ecostudies asks boaters and wildlife viewers to avoid coming too close to the birds.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife suggest using binoculars to view the birds from a safe distance away. If a loon is swimming away from you, don’t pursue it, odds are you’ve stressed it out.
Pursuing a loon that is stressed could be considered harassment and because loons are migratory birds it’s against the law, according to the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
If your boat has a motor observe the “no wake speed” law within 200 feet of shoreline as the wakes can flood nests and displace eggs and chicks, according to the Vermont Center for Ecostudies.
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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com
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