Northland College Still Looking for Volunteers for LoonWatch

Marshfield (OnFocus) – Northland College is once again looking for volunteers for its annual LoonWatch program observations. There are 258 lakes in central and northern Wisconsin where loons breed and spend their summers. Volunteers will head out this Saturday, July 18 from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. to record their observations on those lakes. The duration of time allows for loons that move from one lake to another to be less likely to be counted by more than one citizen science volunteer. Both adults and chicks will be counted.

All of the observations will be compiled to paint a clearer picture of loon populations and ranges within the state. While volunteers called Loon Rangers are active every year making and recording regular observations of the breeding pairs of loons on their “home” lakes, once every five years LoonWatch asks for a bigger group of volunteers in the hopes of covering all 258 lakes in the survey on one day.

These surveys are used to estimate how many breeding pairs occupy these lakes as well as how many chicks the pairs have had. It is especially useful in a year such as this where black fly swarms forced many breeding pairs of loons off their nests. The last time this happened was in 2014. Black flies sometimes swarm at the same time loons are just beginning to sit on their nests. The pests force the loons away from their nests. This year reports from Loon Rangers have said the loons abandoned their first nests for as much as a week and a half.

Once the black fly swarms have subsided, loons will re-nest, but often not successfully. Even if a pair is successful in having another chick, there are always concerns if that chick will be strong enough to make the trip back south by fall. Loon Rangers keep an eye on that, too, and report it throughout the year.

While there are Loon Ranger trainings every year, the population survey this Saturday takes little training, and all of the information a volunteer would need can be found on the Northland College website.

Volunteers are encouraged to use kayaks, canoes or boats to complete their observations and to survey their lake. Only lakes that have been pre-selected to be surveyed will be counted in the Wisconsin Loon Population Survey. A full map of lakes available for surveys is listed on the website, as well as any other instructions needed. Blue pins on the map indicate lakes are available and volunteers are needed. Red pins on a lake mean that a volunteer has already been assigned. Those interested in volunteering can fill out the volunteer registration form on the Northland College website.

A number of lakes in central and northern Wisconsin are still looking for volunteers for this Saturday’s Wisconsin Loon Population Survey. Click here to learn more.

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