Montana Loon Society 2021 Loon Watch

This past year has given us an even greater appreciation for our federal and state wildlife biologists and their interns as well as all the volunteers that kept looking out for loons and their habitats in the midst of difficult times and conditions. Thank you just doesn't seem enough but THANK YOU! We hope you have a wonderful year of getting outside and appreciating life in all its diverse forms and thank you for all you do for loons and their neighbors.

One person we would specifically like to thank is the recipient of the Montana Loon Society (MLS) 2020 Volunteer of the Year Award Lori Micken. The Swan Valley holds many remarkable things, but Pierce Lake cabin owner Lori Micken - author, school teacher, naturalist, biologist and local loon steward - is one of its best kept secrets. 

Mark Ruby, MLS Board Member and Swan Lake Ranger Station Biologist said, "In the 15 years I have worked in the Swan Valley, Pierce Lake has been the most steadfast and productive loon nesting lake in the valley. For most of this time it has been the Swan's only productive nesting lake. In truth, Lori has been kind enough to teach me a great deal about loon conservation from her knowledge of the birds and this one lake. Over the years, Lori has fastidiously chronicled and reported nesting dates, hatch dates, platform condition or needed repairs, threats to the birds and chick survival. She has loaned her boat and property for many hours of loon observations, floating sign deployment or banding operations. It is past due that Lori should be recognized for all her work for loon conservation at Pierce Lake. I am proud to be able to nominate her for volunteer of the year as a small token for what she does for common loons at Pierce Lake and the help she has provided for their management in the Swan Valley."

In addition, we want to announce the new Montana Loon Society website, at http://montanaloons.org. We invite you to look at our site and enjoy the many pages including "Report a Loon Sighting," in which we invite the public to report their loon sighting. On the "Our Story" page find historic photos of loon activities in Seeley Lake and surrounding areas. We appreciate all the Seeley/Swan/Ovando area residents for their appreciation of loons.

2020 Blackfoot Loon Report

In the Blackfoot/Ovando area seven lakes were surveyed for chicks. Upsata had one chick. After July Loon Day, Coopers and Shoup each had a report of a chick, which were confirmed but neither were in the official July Loon Day count. Jones Lake had a pair hang out in the spring, but no nesting. No loons were seen on Emerald, Doney or Browns. The official Loon Day count for this area included one chick but three for the summer.

2020 Clearwater Drainage Loon Report

MT FWP Region 2 Wildlife Biologist Torrey Ritter said that they did not hire a loon ranger for 2020, so the staff and a wonderful group of loon volunteers kept track as best they could. As with much of the state, there was exceptional recreational pressure on the lakes.

Despite these challenges, five out of 10 lakes had confirmed nest attempts and two lakes had probable nest attempts (Clearwater and Alva). Summit, Hidden and Seeley Lakes all produced two chicks, but Placid only had one chick.

Alva was especially confusing. The signs were moved multiple times as various people reported nesting attempts at different points. A final site was never confirmed and it is possible the nest attempt failed due to abnormally high recreational use and not getting the signs in the right spot at the right time.

Plenty of loons were spotted on Salmon, Marshall and Inez but, like previous years, no nests. Some territorial battles were observed on these three lakes. July Loon Day chick count in this region was seven chicks.

Swan Geographic Area

The Swan geographic season recorded four successful nests in the 2020 season at Pierce Lake, Loon Lake (Kraft Creek), Loon Lake (Ferndale) and Holland Lake. All documented nesting pair attempts in the Swan Valley were successful except for Van Lake. 

The Van Lake pair was the earliest to nest in the valley but abandoned the nest in mid-June. The cause is not known; however the eggs were found to be intact in the nest. Eagles also nest on the lake and the 2020 season had a high level of recreating public at nesting lakes including Van Lake. 

A total of seven chicks hatched and all were documented to survive past the July loon day count. For the second year in a row on record, Holland Lake saw a successful loon nesting attempt with one chick hatched. The year tied a record high of seven chicks with last year in the Swan Valley.

 To quickly see how our Blackfoot and Clearwater loon neighbors faired last year, take a look at the included chart. Bumps and dips naturally occur in loon numbers. Nationally, one in four nests fails naturally.

In Montana, flood years are a major cause in the drop in chicks but not all areas flood the same year. It is only cause for concern if numbers drop and drop without bounce-back. Even with these dips and rises on local lakes, chick numbers in Montana have remained roughly the same, with an average 41 chicks per year, which is considered a viable loon population. 2020 was an average year even with COVID-19 and the swarm of recreationalists out on our lakes.