The Loon Count Process on Lake Vermilion

How Does One Count Loons?

Indeed, counting loons can be tricky. They don't like to hold still. They spend extended periods underwater. And the chicks sometimes ride on the backs of the adults, appearing as only a strange bump under the feathers on the parent's back. But practice helps, and the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion has been doing this since 1983.

The Club has divided Lake Vermilion into 23 territories. A team of 2 to 4 persons in a small boat slowly traverses its territory once. Each back-and-forth pass is about 100 yards from the last. All sightings are carefully verified through binoculars after a slow approach by boat, if necessary. The search usually takes 2 to 3 hours. 

The search starts at the same time of day (9:00 a.m.), at the same time of year (mid-week during the 2nd week of July).  This week and time of day is selected to provide good visibility, low competing boat traffic and to allow chicks to grow a bit to be more easily seen. If weather is a problem, the loon count is delayed a couple days. 

Results are phoned in to a coordinator for each end of the lake. The numbers are relayed to the Loon Count Coordinator Mardy Jackson, who tallies the results for the Board of Directors and for the membership.

The "Loon Count" Volunteers and Their Territories

Thanks to the team of volunteers who currently traverse the territories in the map below.

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

W1

W2

W3a

W3b

W4

W5

W6a

W6b

W7

W8

W9

E3

E2

E4

E5

E1

E11

E9

E8

E6

E7

E12

E10

W1.    Head-of-Lakes Bay
W2.    Black Bay
W3a.  S. Wakemup Bay
W3b.  N. Wakemup Bay
W4.    Norwegian Bay
W5.    Wakemup Narrows
W6a.  S. Niles Bay
W6b.  N. Niles Bay
W7.    Wolf Bay
W8.    Oak Narrows
W9.    Smart Bay 

E1.   Daisy Bay
E2.   Central Fraser Bay
E3.   West Fraser Bay
E4.   East Fraser Bay
E5.   North of Pine Island
E6.   NE Big Bay
E7.   SE Big Bay
E8.   East Central Big Bay
E9.   West Central Big Bay
E10.  Pike Bay
E11.  West Big Bay
E12.  Everetts Bay