February 15: Deglaciation of the New Hampshire Lakes Region

Over 20 years of surficial geologic mapping in the Lakes Region has heightened our understanding of the complex deglaciation history of the area.  By mapping the distribution of unconsolidated materials (clay,

sand, gravel, etc.), and observing the landforms left behind, geologists can piece together the deglaciation history. In recent years, the use of high-resolution LiDAR imagery has contributed greatly to the effort and many images will be shared during the presentation.

Photo courtesy of Dan Tinkham.

LPC is hosting this event for the Lakes Region Chapter of NH Audubon. It will be held at The Loon Center (183 Lees Mill Road in Moultonborough, NH) at 7 PM on February 15th.

Schedule a loon presentation or guided paddle for your community!

Educating the public about loons is a major focus of LPC's mission. Our staff are available to give powerpoint presentations or lead guided loon paddling trips across New Hampshire, and we have begun scheduling our 2024 educational events. If you would like to schedule something for your lake association, local library, service group, conservation commission, or other community organization, you can submit a request using our presentation request form.

LPC at Work

In our last E-Newsletter, we mentioned that we were continuing to keep an eye on loons remaining on lakes across the state. January's pattern of alternating warm and cold weeks, which caused some lakes to gain and lose ice cover repeatedly, kept us on our toes! Thankfully, most of the loons that we'd been watching left their lakes in time. Ultimately, only two needed a rescue in January: an adult male on Paugus Bay, and a juvenile on Winnisquam Lake. The stories of these two rescues are detailed below.

LPC Senior Biologist, John Cooley, returns to shore with the Paugus Bay Loon tucked safely in a padded tote bin.

On January 17th, we were informed by a volunteer on Paugus Bay that a loon was iced-in. By the time we received the call, it was too late in the day to mount a response before dark, and the ice was so thin that a rescue would not have been feasible. Our volunteer agreed to keep an eye on the loon as much as she could, and we planned a rescue for the following morning. Fortunately, by morning the ice had firmed up enough to support the weight of a rescuer. LPC Senior Biologist, John Cooley, was able to cross the ice and safely capture the loon.

This loon had begun molting his flight feathers (see the "Loon Fact of the Month" section of our February 2022 E-Newsletter for more information about this molt) and was therefore physically unable to fly away as the ice formed around him.

LPC biologists John Cooley, Caroline Hughes, and Ashley Keenan examine the Paugus Bay loon.

After a brief on-site evaluation of the loon's condition, we took him to VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency and Specialty, where we met with Maria Colby of Wings Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for a more in-depth examination. Thankfully, the loon's blood work and x-rays revealed no problems, and we were able to release him on the ocean that afternoon.

Incidentally, a member of the public had rescued a Red-throated loon from the middle of a road in Portsmouth the night before and brought it to Maria. The Red-throated loon was also deemed to be in good health, and we were able to band it and release it on the ocean alongside the Paugus Bay loon.

LPC biologist, Ashley Keenan, releases the Red-throated loon on the ocean.

After releasing the Paugus Bay loon and the Red-throated loon, our work was not done! That same afternoon, we received a call from a member of the public who was concerned about a loon on Winnisquam Lake. The lake had rapidly skimmed over with ice the night before, leaving the loon confined to a small patch of open water on the south end. The ice was too thin to rescue the loon that day, but by the next morning, it had thickened up. LPC Senior Biologist, John Cooley, was able to quickly make his way out to the loon and capture it.

The Winnisquam loon rests post-capture.

We took the Winnisquam loon to Meadow Pond Animal Hospital for x-rays and then to The Loon Center for blood work. Thankfully, there were no problems detected, and we were able to release the loon on the ocean that afternoon.

Unlike the Paugus Bay loon, the Winnisquam Loon was a juvenile and was therefore not in the midst of a feather molt. It is not clear why it did not leave the lake in time, though it may simply be that it lingered on the lake due to the unseasonably warm early-winter temperatures and was caught unawares by the rapid formation of the ice.

LPC staff draw blood from the Winnisquam loon.

We’d like to acknowledge all who played a role in these successful rescues and releases: Cindy and Debbie (the volunteers who reported these loons), Bethany (who rescued the Red-throated loon and transported it to Wings Wildlife Rehabilitation Center), Bobby and Pat (who allowed us to use their property to access Winnisquam), Maria Colby of Wings Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (who does a wonderful job of evaluating and caring for rescued loons), the veterinary staff at VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency and Specialty and Meadow Pond Animal Hospital (who generously donate time, expertise, and the use of their equipment to help evaluate rescued loons), and Dr. Mark Pokras (who consulted on all three of these cases).

The Winnisquam loon swims out to sea.

LPC Squam Lake Biologist, Tiffany Grade, was interviewed by the National Wildlife Federation for an article about PFAS and LPC's research on PFAS in inviable loon eggs. To read the article, please click here!

Photo courtesy of Elise Amendola.

Loon Fact of the Month: Male vs. Female Loons

Did you know that there are no discernible differences—at least to the human eye—between the plumage of male and female loons? Male loons tend to be, on average, about 25% larger than females, so sometimes you may be able to tell the members of a pair apart if you see them swimming side by side. But even this method is not fool-proof because the way that a loon's body is positioned can affect our perception of its size. A loon that is sitting low in the water, for example, may appear to be smaller than it actually is. And in cases where a pair consists of a larger-than-average female and a smaller-than-average male, there may be no discernible visual difference at all between them.

Put your eyes to the test! Can you tell which of the loons in this photo is the male and which is the female? Answer: The female is towards the top of the photo while the male is towards the bottom. Photo courtesy of Martha Robertson.

Fortunately, there is a way to tell male and female loons apart by sound. Female loons can make three calls (the wail, the tremolo, and the hoot), while males can make four (the wail, the tremolo, the hoot, and the yodel). If you hear a loon making the yodel call, then you can be sure it is a male. You can listen to examples of all four of these calls here.

What about here—can you tell who is who? Answer: The male loon is on the left, the female loon is on the right. Photo courtesy of Kittie Wilson.

Even when you have a loon in hand, it is not possible to tell if it is a male or female by sight alone. As we are banding loons, if we do not hear a yodel from one of the pair members, we have to compare their weights to determine who is who.

One last test! Which loon is which? Answer: The female is in the background, and the male is in the foreground. Photo courtesy of Jon Waage.

Your Membership Matters!

As a subscriber to the Loon Preservation Committee’s e-newsletter, your interest in loons and LPC’s work is evident! You may be enjoying the articles about loon behavior and productivity. You may like to see the photos of the LPC team at work, monitoring loons in the summer and performing risky ice rescues in the winter. You may have engaged with LPC’s seasonal live stream of nesting loons (the Loon Cam). All of these make you a part of a community of people who connect with the environment and with each other through their love of loons.

Many readers are already LPC members, and we thank you deeply for your membership. If you have not yet joined, we invite you to become a member of LPC now and help support LPC’s vital work to preserve and protect loons and their habitats.

Visit LPC and join here!

Photo courtesy of Kittie Wilson.

The Loon's Feather Gift Shop Item of the Month

This month, Camp Mugs are on sale for 15% off in our store! This heavy-duty blue and white ceramic mug features an etched lake scene. Mug is dishwasher and microwave safe. Get yours in person at The Loon Center or online here! All proceeds from our store are used to fund the monitoring, management, education, and research that we do to help restore New Hampshire's threatened common loon population.

We’re rated by Charity Navigator! You can give with confidence knowing that we have been independently evaluated for effectively stewarding donations.

Loon Preservation Committee | 603-476-LOON (5666) | www.loon.org