The Lake Where You Live

A person has to wonder sometimes whether loons are safer in their winter waters on the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico than in their breeding territory here in the north.

True, while in the migratory phase they’ve faced calamities like botulism outbreaks and poisoning from oil spills. But here they’re subject to stresses as well, less extreme maybe, but more insidious.

As an example, consider the latest dispatch from Walter Piper, leader of The Loon Project (theloonproject.org) here in Oneida County. In a post headlined, “A Devastating Year for Males,” Piper reports on the loss of five established male breeders, from various causes. 

Two just disappeared from their home lakes, for reasons not at all clear. Three others died. One from Flannery Lake was found dead with a deep neck wound, possibly caused by a boat propeller. Another, from North Two Lake, showed signs of electrocution, perhaps from contact with ungrounded wiring for a dock light.

The third loon was “found dead on shore and emaciated, having ingested some form of metal. A vet must confirm this, but it seems that he swallowed someone’s lure, lost the ability to feed himself, and died of starvation.”

Piper characterized the loss of these males as “profoundly unsettling,” given that males are the limiting gender in loon reproduction: “That is, males live shorter lives than females, and this tilts the adult sex ratio towards females. Put simply, males are in short supply, while there are ample females to fill breeding positions.”

Piper wonders, “Does the loss and lack of immediate replacement of these males this past season signal the beginning of that downturn?”

Meanwhile, Piper and others have raised alarms about the effect of declining water clarity on loons, especially during the critical time in July when loon pairs need to capture great numbers of fish to nourish young ones. The cloudier water can be caused by runoff from the growing number of heavy rainfalls related to climate change.

Loons are sight feeders, so any loss of water clarity hinders their capacity to find food, and so their ability to feed chicks well enough so that they can mature and make their first migration. Piper and colleagues have noted a trend toward lower body mass in chicks.

And other factors also place stresses on loons. One is loss of nesting habitat as lakeshore properties are built upon. Loons require flat patches of natural shoreline on which to nest. Because they can barely maneuver on land, they need to nest where they can essentially just slide off into the water.

A related threat comes from waves from high-powered boats, including those designed to create enhanced wakes for wakesurfing. Lake advocates have raised concerns that these large, high-energy waves could inundate loon nests. 

And then there’s the threat of poisoning from leaden jigs, split shot and other fishing tackle, which loons ingest, mistaking them for the harmless pebbles they need to help their gizzards grind up food for easier digestion. 

So it’s not only industries like big oil that can place loons at risk. If we care about loons, it’s up to all of us to behave in ways that help keep them safe from harm. 

Ted Rulseh, a writer, author and advocate for lake protection, lives on Birch Lake in Oneida County. Visit him and his blog at https://thelakeguy.net.