Vermilion Lake Association 2024 Loon Count Completed

This spring’s overly generous rainfall paused in its giving on July 8th, the day of the Vermilion Lake Association (VLA) Loon Count. Those gathering the data enjoyed gentle breezes and blue skies overhead. 

The extremely high lake level prevented some volunteers from launching their boats, but friends and neighbors stepped up to meet the challenge, as friends and neighbors always do. 

Flash flooding traumatized many homeowners and businesses in Cook and around our region following the June 18th deluge. Those who care for loons feared that  high water and high winds could overwhelm nesting loons, their eggs, and their chicks.  Notably, the count is UP  by 8 for 2024, but the chick count is DOWN by 16.

The total of loons counted is 193, eight more than in 2023. The west end, numbers reported were 16 pairs, 6 chicks, and 26 singles for a total of 64. The east end reported 27 pairs, 7 chicks, and 68 singles for a total of 129.

One of the VLA’s organizers Claire Zwieg noted that “some volunteers reported seeing loon pairs near their residences all spring but only 1 was spotted on the morning of the loon count and speculated their mate may be sitting on a new nest with eggs trying for a second hatch.”  To see one pair of loons trying a second time, visit the VLA’s very own “Loon Cam” at www.vermilionlakeassociation.org or on our YouTube channel! 

The website for the Minnesota DNR Loon Watcher Survey provides information, as does their loon monitoring program: www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame.

The Lake Vermilion Association and facilitators Claire Zwieg and Jill Korpela-Bontems thank the sixty-one volunteers and those who offered their boats to fill the shortage.