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The following is a report by Cory Gildersleeve of the local chapter of the Audobon Society. The Audobon Society and the DEQ requested our support in locating a loon nest on Cedar Lake. Pictures of the launch of the nest are under "Lake Pictures". Please be especially sensitive to the request to stay away from the nest.
Loon Nesting Platform on Cedar Lake On Wednesday, May 2, Iosco Audubon completed setting a loon nesting raft at the northern end of Cedar Lake in Greenbush. Ron Heinz, Mark Misenheimer, and Cory Gildersleeve placed the final load of sod on the raft, making it ready for resident birds. The raft or nesting platform is 4-feet by 4-feet and is buoyed by a frame of 4-inch schedule 40 PVC pipe. Inside the frame are twenty-five washed and sealed laundry detergent jugs. This floatation holds up a topping of 4-inch thick fresh sod, which is the nest for the loons. Common loons will nest in the area if they can find a suitable site. It needs to be 50 to 100 yards from shore, a low island, and in a lake at least one-quarter mile long. Loons are primitive birds and cannot walk. They just slide up on the island. Because they have solid bones, they are very heavy, which requires a long running take off to get into flight. Because harassment by boaters is a grave concern for the survival of loon chicks, boaters are asked to stay well away from the nest island. The Loon Association and DNR provides training to land owners who wish to be Loon Rangers. These Rangers can discourage boaters from being too curious about the birds. The loon nest is situated in shallow (one-foot deep) water where no powerboat should go. Later in the season the lake level will drop and leave the nest high and dry, but since the nesting period will end by July, this should prove not to be a problem for the loons. Materials for the raft were partially donated. Eymer & Duchane Hardware, George Wilber, and Ron Heinz contributed to the cost of the PVC frame. Currently there are still loons visiting Cedar Lake looking for nesting habitats. Hopefully a pair will find and choose the new site. |
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