Lending Loons a Leg Up
Earlier this week our Damariscotta Watershed Manager, Patricia Nease, joined partners from Maine Audubon and the Loon Restoration Project to install a loon nesting raft in Damariscotta Lake. Maine is home to the largest loon population in the northeast United States, but they're under threat from increasing boat traffic, lead fishing tackle, loss of habitat, and more, so they need all the help they can get!
We chose the nesting site because the loon pair on Spectacle Island had failed to successfully reproduce in recent years, likely as a result of boat wakes and fluctuating lake water levels. This is the second year we have deployed the nesting raft. Last year there was a loon already nesting on the site where we had planned to place the raft, and we're happy to report the pair successfully raised a chick! A special thank you to Midcoast Conservancy members and volunteers Pete and Tina Streker who monitored the nest and raft weekly and provided the data to Maine Audubon.
This year we deployed the raft in a slightly different area, and installed a game camera to keep extra eyes on the raft. We'll be sure to share some photos and updates of our loon family as the season goes on.
Please note that we do not reveal the exact location of the nesting raft as we do not want to encourage excess disturbance of the loons, and should you happen upon our nesting platform, or any loons, please make sure to appreciate them from a distance of 200 feet or more.
Note that Spectacle Island in Damariscotta Lake is a Midcoast Conservancy protected property and is available for camping in mid to late summer, after nesting season. Details on Spectacle Island and camping reservation info is linked here.
