8544-R5_ML&P_LSLA_2023_FallNewsletter_Web

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2023 Little

Happy Fall loon and lake lovers! Sadly, 2023 was a rather disappointing year for overall loon reproductive productivity – and yet, a tremendously exciting season with the introduction of our first ever live stream on one of Little Sebago’s nesting territories plus another rewarding rescue by our loon Rangers. You can check out highlights on our YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/littlesebagolakeassociation Common Loon Population and Productivity: 55% percent of all the loons ever banded on Little Sebago Lake returned (If you discount four banded chicks and any deceased individuals it would be 16 of 23 or a remarkable 70% return rate), and all 11 known loon territories on the lake were occupied by loon pairs. Only 6 of the 11 pairs nested (55%), and only 3 of those nests hatched chicks, for a total of 3 chicks (33%). Only 1 (Vic23 from the lower lake) survived to fledge (> 6 weeks of age), giving us a mere .09% Overall Productivity. The 2023 productivity of 0.09 CS/TP was the worst ever recorded. Average productivity over the most recent six years (2018-2023) is 0.37 CS/TP. This is below the established sustainable population threshold of 0.48 CS/TP. It is suspected that the record low productivity can be linked, primarily, to a historically low number of nesting pairs, coupled with multiple nest failures due to the abandonment of eggs. (More on that under the “Aggression” heading.) The Grand Dame: The return, long-term survival, and breeding history of the banded 1997 Horse Island female continues to be a remarkable story. She is now estimated to be at least 31 years old. Her chick (HappyLane23) is sadly one of the 3 that did not survive. There

Vic23 with parent late Sept 2023

are very few confirmed cases of banded loons surviving and successfully breeding at this age. The passing of another loon this year leaves the Grand Dame among the 2 oldest confirmed in the northeast. Meet Marty: Another exciting moment was finding a juvenile banded in 2020 (2020 Martin’s Island chick) back on the lake. He was identified on 6/7/23 and observed other times throughout the breeding season. This is the first time a returning banded juvenile has been confirmed back on the lake and he was the first to have a DNA determination of sex.

Introducing Marty (Martin Isl. 2020 chick returns to LS 2023)

Nesting Rafts: For the second consecutive year, six artificial nesting rafts were placed in different breeding territories, hoping to entice nesting loons to choose to nest upon them

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