MOULTONBOROUGH — Loons have just laid an egg on a Live Loon Cam run by the N.H. Loon Preservation Committee (LPC).
Now in its 10th year of operation, the cam is streaming live on YouTube and features a pair of loons nesting in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.
The first egg was laid on June 17 and a second was expected to be laid between June 19–20. Hatch is expected to occur between July 14–15.
Over the next 28 days, viewers can watch, up-close and in real time, as the birds incubate their eggs and hatch their chicks. During this time, viewers will also see the loons interact with one another and with the other wildlife species they share the lake with.
In addition to watching the loons, viewers of the cam also have the option to participate in an online chat with other viewers and with LPC biologists. The chat allows viewers to share events that happen on camera, connect, and socialize over their love of the birds. Those interested in viewing the Loon Cam can do so at loon.org/looncam.
The pair featured on the Loon Cam is one of many loon pairs that are currently incubating nests across New Hampshire.
Loons nest on lakes and ponds and often build their nests along the shoreline of islands, in marshy areas, or along the mainland shoreline of protected coves.
Adapted for life in the water, loons cannot walk on land, and as such, they build their nest right at the water’s edge. These nests are vulnerable to boat wakes and to human disturbance.
“Because they cannot walk well on land, loons are vulnerable when they are on the nest,” said LPC Senior Biologist/Director Harry Vogel. “If they sense a threat, such as a closely approaching boat, they will flatten themselves low over their nests, with their heads angled toward the water, to try to hide. If the threat persists in the area, they will flush from their nest.”
If adult loons are flushed from the nest, their eggs may be exposed and vulnerable to predation or temperature changes that can render the eggs inviable.
Those who plan to boat, fish, or hike on or around New Hampshire’s lakes during the loon nesting season are urged to be careful as they move in areas where loons may be nesting.
If a loon nest is found, it should be given plenty of space — 150 feet at minimum, and more if the loon shows signs of distress, such as lowering its head over the nest.
If a member of the public accidentally flushes a loon from the nest, they should leave the area immediately so that the loon can resume incubation. Boaters are also urged to follow New Hampshire’s no wake laws in order to avoid swamping loon nests.
The Loon Preservation Committee monitors loons throughout the state as part of its mission to restore and maintain a healthy population of loons in New Hampshire; to monitor the health and productivity of loon populations as sentinels of environmental quality; and to promote a greater understanding of loons and the natural world.