Someone last year asked why there were no loon nesting platforms on Highland Lake? So, they got two!

 

Highland Lake in Bridgton is lucky to have loons every summer, but residents and experts weren't sure if they were successfully raising chicks. So the Waterfowl Program / Loon Program Director at the Biodiversity Research Institute in Portland was contacted.  Scientists have learned that the success of loons nesting with these loon nesting platforms had a 50% higher likelihood of survival of the young.

Highland Lake is at the southern limit of the loons breeding range, and with global warming, it's even harder for them to raise chicks!  Now for the first time ever, there are two loon nesting platforms in the South Basin of Highland Lake

Adult loons can be pretty tolerant of humans, but when they have chicks or eggs, give them a lot of room - they are incredibly protective (who isn't?). Did you hear about the loon that killed a bald eagle by stabbing him in the heart with their beak? Yeah...

Loons lay their eggs May 15 and June 15 and the eggs hatch about a month later. Both parents incubate the eggs, which hatch in about 28 to 30 days. The chicks leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching, but stay close to mom and dad for warmth and protection. Soooo, leave the loons alone and they could come back to Highland Lake for years to come.

 

 

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