Loons on Merrymeeting

[jackandzack]

I have noticed that both loons are back on the water after nesting for a few weeks. Does anyone know if they were successful in hatching any young?

[mcdude]

I was also interested in knowing if any loon chicks were hatched on Merrymeeting this year. We had just one on Sunset Lake in Alton but it hatched almost a month later than usual and we are all wondering if it will be mature enough to fly away this fall before ice in. The Loon Society came out and installed a protective barrier to keep boaters away ...very impressive. I read on the Wentworth site that they have one chick over there and I read in the Citizen that there are only four loon chicks this year on all of Winnipesaukee. This count is way down from usual hope it isn't a trend.

CLICK HERE for Citizen Article (http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050827/CITIZEN0103/108270091&SearchID=73219034944939)

[webmaster]

Hi McDude,

There were no baby loons on Merrymeeting this summer. The pair that normally nests did produce eggs. But after sitting on the nest for most of July, they abandoned the eggs in late July.

We had a visit from one of the monitors from the Loon Preservation Society. They felt that the cool, rainy spring may have delayed nesting this year.

The good news is that there was no lack of loons on the lake this summer. It was not unusual to see 2-3 in the same day. Unusually, we often saw 3-4 together, even in mid-summer. Perhaps parents and teens spending time together?

Supposedly, Merrymeeting is only large enough to handle, at most, 2 nesting pairs.

In a related note, we did have a good increase in Eagle sightings on Merrymeeting this summer.

[webmaster]

Are the loons gone now or still on the lake?

[Mermaid]

I've only seen one loon (at a time, anyway) back on the lake. Does anyone know if there's a pair?

[bluechicken]

I saw a pair of loons paddling by off Cedergren West this morning. At first I only saw one, but then another popped up from under water.

[scubadubadog]

Check out the "Nesting Loons" thread and join in! :D