Eastman Living Online Magazine

After five consecutive years in which two chicks hatched and survived the summer on Eastman Lake, this was a disappointing year for Eastman’s loons. After a late ice- out, the resident pair established a nest in mid-June, about two weeks later than usual, and a single chick hatched in mid-July. However, after a few days, the chick vanished for unknown reasons. In addition to the possibility of predation by an eagle that was reportedly seen around the lake, a possible cause was the presence of several unpaired, “visiting” loons. Loons usually start breeding in their sixth or seventh summers, and when these “unpaired” loons start searching for a lake in which to establish a territory, they can cause trouble for nesting loons. Reports of as many as six loons on the lake, with the official census report being four, support this explanation. Unpaired loons can divert the parents’ attention from caring for their chick(s), and they may even harm other loons’ chicks directly. However, the news for the rest of the state was generally good: 203 nesting pairs produced 191 chicks, of which 157 had survived as of mid- summer.

Although lead poisoning is not suspected as the cause of our chick’s death, as of July there had already been three reports of loon deaths in New Hampshire from lead poisoning, most likely from fishing tackle. In June 2016, it will be illegal in the state to sell, or to use in fresh water, lead sinkers or jigs less than one inch long or weighing less than an ounce. Anglers should clean out their tackle boxes and responsibly dispose of all lead-containing jigs and sinkers. For more information about the New Hampshire law regarding lead fishing tackle, contact the state Department of Fish and Game (603-271-3421) or the Loon Preservation Committee, (www.loon.org, 603-476-LOON).