The HHLPOA has many initiatives to safeguard our land, waterways and the wildlife that call this beautiful area home. This year, we are focusing our efforts on programs that will help measure and protect Loon health on our lakes. Our primary focus will be on public education, measuring the Loon population and nest protection.
Canada’s iconic Loons breed on lakes throughout the country, and as top predators, their presence reflects broader lake health. The HHLPOA has registered with the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey through Birds Canada, to monitor the health and productivity of Common Loons. Our role in the study involves observing the bird’s activity to capture the following:
- June – loon pairs observed
- July – newly hatched chicks
- August – observing young that have survived to fledge
To achieve this, we will need a small number of volunteers on Halls, Little Hawk and Big Hake Lakes as well as the Kennisis River. Please reach out to alison.king@mediaprofile.com if you would like to help monitor the Loon activity in your area. The survey requires just three inputs for the entire summer – June, July and August – so it is a very light time commitment.
You will hear from us through various channels throughout the summer on how we can all contribute to a healthy ecosystem for our Loons. One of the biggest threats to their health is lead tackle. Alternatives are more expensive, but the ingestion of a single lead sinker can kill a Loon. The fluctuation of our river and lakes in the region also causes flooding issues for nests. We are exploring the option of building nest platforms that will rise and fall with the water levels after we have completed the loon study. Lots for us all to learn and do but it is hard to imagine our waterways without their haunting call!
Lead photo credit: Brad King (cover of this year’s calendar)