The Annual Loon Count on Lake Vermilion

Counting Loons for 25 Years !

Lake Vermilion has always been known for its large population of loons. To lake residents and frequent visitors, the loon has been something special. One never tires of the haunting cries in the early morning or late evening hours, the sight of a loon cruising the open waters of the lake with his head below water looking for a meal, or the special scene of a loon chick --- or maybe two --- riding on a parent's back to keep warm.

In the early 1980s, news of large loon die-offs in Gulf waters off the coast of Florida had the Club worried. They could have been "our" loons. So in 1983 the Sportsmen's Club took it upon itself to keep a count of the loons on Lake Vermilion every summer.

The task was quite large: thousands of acres of water, many bays and islands, and a bird that wouldn't sit still long enough to be counted only once. But if enough volunteers could be on the water on the same day, at the same time, an accurate count could be taken. Today, the Lake Vermilion Loon Count is the longest running, single lake count of common loons anywhere in the United States.

For Info on the Loon Count Process or to Volunteer  

To learn more about the process of counting loons on Lake Vermilion, including a map of the territories, click here.

Thanks to the volunteers who currently traverse their territories so carefully each July. Since the beginning, 139 volunteers have participated. Of those, 61 have earned their 5-year patch. Quite a few have been involved for 25 years!  

If you'd like to join this team, please contact east-end coordinator Mardy Jackson [contact info] or west-end coordinator Clarie Zwieg [contact info]. Alternate counters are often needed. And a territory opens up periodically.

Loon Survey Report for 2007      by Mardy Jackson

The day --- July 16th --- was absolutely perfect! The sky so blue, sun shining, not too hot, even without a breeze. The lake was like a mirror; anything on the surface was easily seen.

We were all at our respective territories at 9:00 a.m. to count singles, pairs, and chicks. We have 23 territories on the lake: 11 on the west end, which Clarie Zwieg coordinates, and 12 on the east end, which I coordinate myself.

Our total count this year was 253, down 31 from last year. Half the total count were singles. But being down 31 sounds worse than it is, because when I average out the last 10 years, the figure comes to 248. So 253 is right in there.

The only disappointing thing about our survey this year was the chick count. Just 21 for the whole lake. However, this spring was a bad one for nesting loons, that build their nests on the shoreline. This being necessary as their legs are situated so far back on their body, walking on land is too difficult. From mid-May to erly June, we had many very windy days which could have washed out many nests. The young pairs will not re-nest, but the older pairs may try again. Some of the observers reported seeing larger chicks, and some very young ones, probably the result of two rounds of nesting.

Yes, this year was quite a milestone. For 25 years the Sportsmen’s Club of Lake Vermilion has been doing this survey on the loon population. This has been for our own information as well as valuable for the Non-game Wildlife Division of the DNR. No other lake in the state of Minnesota can come close to this record. This has only been possible because of the volunteers from our club. This year 54 people took part, some of whom have been counting since 1983!