Follow Up on Our Loons

We have good news X 2

You know all about good news / bad news.  We have good news and even better news to report.

At least 2 adult loons have been spotted on Leech Lake as of the end of April.  Everyone we have spoken with believes that at least one of these loons is new to the lake.  There was apparently a territorial battle in mid April and it certainly appears that the new male on the lake is quite virile.  Watch for him displaying on the Lake when you are at the cottage.  He is a magnificent specimen.

This is a natural process of renewal.  An older male dies off and is replaced by a stronger one.

That’s the good news!

Even Better News

The even better news (at least for us geeks who worry about this kind of thing), is that new loons on the Lake will continue to occupy their role in maintaining the balance in the food web on the Lake. 

As we pointed out in the earlier report on loon deaths on the lake, loons consume an astounding amount of fish during the summer season.  A summer without loons, or fewer loons, on the lake could have resulted in a dramatic change in the entire food web.  That is, the number of fish in the lake competing for available nutrition would have gotten out of balance.  That would have had an impact on fish which are the top feeders in the Lake’s food system. 

Loons are a big part of maintaining the natural balance in the food system in the lake.  With new loons on the Lake, thankfully, that should not happen.

Report by: Shirley Rolin