LAKE VERMILION— Exceptionally high water levels stemming from the June 18 rainstorm may have contributed to a decline in the number of loon chicks sighted by volunteers here during the 2024 loon count. The count, which has been undertaken annually since the mid-1980s, is one of the longest-running loon counts in the state. The count, held July 8 this year, is overseen by the Vermilion Lake Association.
This year’s total of 61 counters sighted 193 loons, a slight increase over last year’s total and the same result as two years ago. At the same time, however, the number of chicks sighted declined from 29 last year to just 13 in the most recent count, one of the lowest numbers in years.
A total of 64 loons, including six chicks, were sighted on the lake’s west end, while spotters found 129 loons, including seven chicks on the east end.
Wildlife surveys are inherently “noisy,” which means considerable variability is to be expected, even with a stable population. That’s one reason that wildlife researchers emphasize the importance of multi-year trends over year-to-year variation.
Count organizer Claire Zweig noted that some volunteer counters had reported seeing loon pairs near their residences all spring but only spotted one adult on the morning of the count. That prompted speculation that the other adult might be sitting on a new nest. Loons will frequently re-nest, if the first nest of the season proves unsuccessful. Loons, which cannot walk on land, typically nest right at the water’s edge. That makes them vulnerable to flooding when water levels rise suddenly, as occurred in the wake of the June storm.
Lake Vermilion has long been home to the largest documented loon population on any lake in Minnesota. It’s 365 islands and hundreds of miles of shoreline, much of it undeveloped, provides exceptional nesting habitat for loons.
Loons are good indicators of water quality because they need clean, clear water to catch food. They are also sensitive to disturbances such as lakeshore development and contaminants like mercury and lead in their environment.