We are already into September, making it seem like those hot days of summer just flew by. As we wait for the fall spectacle of vibrant colors to overtake the lakes region, daylight fades earlier from the sky and the air gains a crisp chill. Along with the changes outside I have had a chance to shift focus and work on a new task for NLRA. Over the past couple of weeks I have been working to write an article for the NLRA’s publication, The Monitor. While the task of writing might not be new to me this will be my first chance to write for a publication like The Monitor. The Monitor includes articles of varying topics, from educational pieces on cyanobacteria threats to volunteer projects, with the piece I have worked on being related to local wildlife.
This article is an update on some of the well-known avian species in the area. In particular common loons, bald eagles, and peregrine falcons. While Newfound has plenty of interesting wildlife there simply isn’t enough space to talk about it all! When looking at the common loon, the Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) notes they are consistently nesting on Newfound Lake. Unfortunately this isn’t all good news, as LPC’s John Cooley notes “They are still struggling to hatch and raise young.” The loons most frequently nest in the Hebron Marsh but occasionally nest near Mayhew Island. This season was the 6th consecutive year that a pair nested in the Marsh but sadly four of those six years have resulted in failure. This is sad to learn, as I have childhood memories of the common loon from visiting my grandparents in Maine each summer. While staying at my grandparents’ and kayaking I was able to regularly see and hear the loons and even watch pairs with chicks. On Newfound, the LPC conducts at least three field surveys, gathers volunteer observations, and partakes in the annual loon census each year. With this monitoring and the LPC’s efforts to promote nesting success hopefully Newfound’s loons will see a faster recovery.
Both eagles and peregrines have been known to successfully nest around Newfound including during 2020. I have developed an interest in these avian predators thanks to my work for my senior capstone at Colby-Sawyer College. My capstone looked into parasites and illness among migrant raptors and permitted me the rare opportunity to closely observe raptor banding. While I was not able to observe any eagles during this experience, I was able to get close to several peregrine falcons and witness first-hand the sheer size and strength of these fascinating predators!
My summer with the NLRA, in contrast, has given me the opportunity to watch a bald eagle family as their fledged chicks grew to independence, but I have not been lucky enough to see Newfound’s peregrines. For more on these three birds around Newfound Lake keep an eye out for the October edition of The Monitor!
