Holiday Open House

Join us Saturday, November 26th from 10 AM–2 PM for our Holiday Open House! This family friendly event will include face painting, balloon animals, kids crafts, horse-drawn wagon rides, and a visit from Santa. We hope to see you there!

Photo courtesy of Tiffany Gra.

We’ll Buy your Lead Tackle!

Lead sinkers and lead-headed jigs weighing one ounce or less are illegal to use in freshwater in NH due to their negative impacts on loons and other wildlife. Participate in our Lead Tackle Buyback program to safely dispose of your lead tackle and receive a $10 voucher to a participating retailer in return! The program participants who turn in the largest and second-largest amounts of illegal lead tackle at each participating retailer during the 2022 calendar year will be awarded $100 and $50 prizes respectively. Click here for more details.

LPC at Work

Though many of New Hampshire’s loons have left for their ocean wintering grounds, many others are still remaining on our lakes. Unfortunately, these remaining loons still have the potential to find themselves in situations that require them to be rescued. This was the case for the banded male loon on Spectacle Pond in Groton, who was photographed tangled in fishing line on the afternoon of September 30th. LPC Field Biologists Ashley Keenan and Autumn Heil were able to team up with volunteers at the pond and rescue the loon on October 1st. Because the line was wrapped around the loon’s bill and feet, he was able to dive only briefly and was not mobile enough to forage. This meant that he was weakened and able to be captured easily.

This image, provided by Maureen Kuharic, shows the Spectacle Pond male tangled in fishing line (note the tangle around the base of his bill, close to his face).

Ashley then brought the loon to VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency and Specialty, where they met with wildlife rehabilitator Maria Colby of Wings of the Dawn Wildlife Rehabilitation to evaluate the loon. Though they were able to untangle him and nothing seemed amiss in the blood tests or on the loon’s x-ray, he sadly died in rehab shortly after. The loon’s necropsy revealed that he had been suffering from an infection (likely bacterial). His entanglement almost certainly lead to this infection.

The Spectacle Pond male had likely been tangled for some time and was debilitated from not being able to capture food. Photo courtesy of Ashley Keenan.

Unfortunately, the Spectacle Pond male was not the only loon to become tangled in fishing line in October. On October 31st, LPC received a report from a pond in the Monadnock Region, where another loon was seen with fishing line wrapped around its bill; however, this loon was still diving well. LPC Field Biologists Ashley Keenan and Emma Purinton set out on November 1st to attempt to rescue the loon, but because it was still very mobile, and they were unable to capture it. With the help of volunteers in the area, we will be monitoring this loon closely over the coming days and will be looking for an opportunity for another rescue attempt.

The Monadnock Region tangled loon. Photo courtesy of Nora Hanke.

We want people to be able to out and enjoy New Hampshire’s beautiful lakes and ponds, however, these loons’ stories are a good illustrator of the negative impacts that human activities can have on our wildlife. The good news is that with just a little bit of extra care, we can reduce the chance that our recreational use of lakes will harm the wildlife that calls them home. Here are some best practices for fishing in a way that keeps loons and other wildlife safe. Please consider sharing them with an angler in your life!



1. Use only lead free, loon safe tackle in order to prevent lead poisoning in loons and other wildlife.
2. Reel in your line if you see loons in the area, and refrain from casting when loons are nearby. Loons are visual predators and will sometimes strike at an angler’s line because they detect the motion or see a glint from a lure and mistake it for a fish moving through the water. They may also strike at a fish on your line as you reel it in. If a loon gets caught and breaks your line, it can become tangled.
3. Take your line with you when you leave the lake, and collect any discarded line that you might find in the water or along the shoreline. This will reduce the possibility of accidental entanglement.
4. If you see a loon in trouble, please report it to LPC. 



Dr. Mark Pokras, a friend and frequent collaborator of LPC, uses an XRF (X-Ray Flourescence) device to detect different metals (including lead) in the leg bone of one of the necropsied loons.

On October 28, several LPC staff members participated in a necropsy workshop at the Center for Wildlife. In total, eight loons (five from New Hampshire) were necropsied. Necropsies are a key part of LPC’s work, as learning about the causes of death of individual loons can, over time, allow us to determine trends across the population. We thank the Center for Wildlife for hosting this important event!

Loon Fact of the Month

Unlike many other birds, loons do not have hollow bones. Instead, their bones are dense and thick-walled. The extra weight of these bones is a benefit to loons when they are in the water—it helps them to dive deep and stay under for long periods of time. However, the added weight means that loons have a high rate of wing loading—relative to the area of their wings, their mass is large. Each square inch of wing is supporting a lot of weight. This means that when it comes to flight, loons have to work hard to achieve liftoff. They must run across the surface of the water, flapping their wings as they go, until they finally gain enough momentum to take off. 

Because they have to work so hard, loons often look ungainly as they are taking flight. Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly.

The amount of ‘runway’ space that loons need in order to take off can vary depending on wind conditions. As they prepare to take off, loons will orient themselves into the wind. A strong headwind can give them an extra boost that enables them to take flight with a relatively short runway. However, on calm days, loons may need up to a quarter mile of runway space in order to achieve liftoff. 

A common loon in flight. Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly.

In New England, adult loons can weigh 8-16 lbs and their wingspan is 55-65 inches. Compare that with a great black-backed gull, which has a similar wingspan but weighs just 3-4 lbs on average. Comparatively, the loon is carrying much more weight per square inch of wing.

 A great black backed gull in flight.

Annual Benefit Raffle

If you'd like to support LPC's work and be entered for a chance to win one of our great prizes, get your tickets now! Raffle tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10 and can be purchased in person at The Loon Center or by giving us a call at (603)476-5666. The winners of our Annual Benefit Raffle will be drawn at the end of our Holiday Open House on November 26 and will be contacted shortly after.

 Items of the Month

This month, we have two items on sale! Order in our online store or visit us in person at The Loon Center to get yours!

Blue Plaid Potholder and Towel Set

Give your kitchen a loony feel with this great set! Comes with a blue plaid potholder featuring two loons with a chick and the words 'Family is Everything' and a coordinating blue towel. Get yours here.

Loon Door Chimes

Just in time for the holidays, this festive chime features a loon-shaped backer stamped out of black leather with two brass bells and a hanger ring. Order yours here!

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