‘If one chick is surviving, it’s lucky’
Wildlife association building floating islands to help aquatic birds survive and thrive
There is something heartwarming about this loony project.
Members of the Port Morien Wildlife Association say the disruption of the nesting process of loons all across the country is being drastically affected by a variety of factors, so their association is stepping in to help the aquatic birds here in Cape Breton.
“At one time a loon would have three, four or even five chicks,” said Stan Peach, treasurer. “Now if one chick is surviving, it’s lucky.”
Peach said their association has decided to address the crisis by getting to work on a loon nesting platform project — building floating islands to provide loons with safe nesting areas.
“We’ve got two built and over the course of the next two years we are hoping to built 15 of them.”
The platforms are made by first building a raft of PVC pipe. Old potato bags are used to build a platform and sods are placed on top as well as straw.
“We let loons figure out how to build their nests,” Peach said.
“We give them the material and they will do the design.”
Peach said the loon population has been on a serious decline across the country over the past few years for a number of reasons, including shoreline development that reduces resting places, predators and also acid rain.
“The mercury levels are taking a toll on water fowl and they are not reproducing at the numbers they normally would.”
He said lead poisoning is also a concern as a result of anglers using lead tackle and from hunters using lead pellets.
“There could be a hundred lead pellets in a shotgun shell. If you’re on a lake duck or goose hunting maybe half a dozen of those pellets will hit the bird while the rest are going to the bottom.”
He said fish feed off the bottom and birds — including loons and eagles – feed off fish.
“It gets into the eco system that way also.”
Peach said one of their members brought the idea of the floating platforms to a meeting and through research they discovered it’s not only being done is some areas of Canada but it’s also proving successful in the United States.
He said they received a $10,000 grant for the project from the Nova Scotia Wildlife Habitat Conservation Fund.
The Nova Scotia Habitat Conservation Fund was established under the Nova Scotia Wildlife Act to assist the funding of programs for the protection and enhancement of wildlife habitats. It’s funded through hunters and trappers with $5.85 from each licence purchased going to the fund.
Peach said their association hired Danielle Crosby to facilitate this project; Crosby is a member of their association but she is presently studying wildlife conservation technology at Holland College in Prince Edward Island.
“This is a bonus for us because she has some first-hand knowledge of the habits of the loons that we hope to learn more information about.” Stan Peach
“This is a bonus for us because she has some first-hand knowledge of the habits of the loons that we hope to learn more information about.”
He said the loon islands will be placed in strategic areas in lakes and waterway around the industrial area.
“We can then observe from a distance if there are chicks being born successfully. “
He said this project will continue over several years and their goal is to engage the public as ambassadors to also observe these nests from a distance and report any activity to the association.
He said they are scouting areas for these platforms and are asking anyone who knows of an area with loon activity to contact them.
The association tested a platform over the weekend on Sand Lake too see how it would stand up to wind and rain.