I hope everyone is having a good start to the summer despite the colder temperatures and drizzly weather.   I've spent much of the past week looking for a bird tangled in fishing line on Green River Reservoir unsuccessfully (but discovered a new nest in the process), helping a loon that crash-landed on a road in Smugglers Notch (now swimming freely on Waterbury Res.), and working on the new loon database with the help of Terry Donovan at UVM.

We've confirmed over 56 nesting pairs as of mid-June. We may not see the 70 nests that we saw in 2012, as it is starting to be late for the initiation of nests.  It may be that our higher population is starting to affect the number of birds that nest because of territorial disputes, while fluctuating water levels may have also delayed or prevented some nesting.

• Saturday, July 20th - afternoon
• Friday, July 19th
• Sunday, July 21st

1. LoonWatch Data Form 2013
   This is the form you completed during your survey.  You can mail this form to Eric at the address below or email the information to him.    
   
       
2. Loon Volunteer Hours Form 2013
   

   We need to document volunteer hours to receive State Wildlife Grant (SWG) funding.  
   
   Please track your volunteer hours, sign, and mail this form back to Eric Hanson at the address below.
   
   Here are the guidelines:

   • Include ALL the time you spend:  driving, paddling/boating, educating neighbors, filling out forms, looking for the loons and sometimes not finding them, conducting other loon surveys, etc.   
   • Each volunteer needs his/her own form -
     you cannot put 2 people on one form.  
   • Each observation needs to have it's own line -
     no combining hours.   
   • Estimate your time. Don't feel you have to keep track of every minute.
      

Please mail all forms to:

Eric Hanson

PO Box 22

Craftsbury, VT 05826

PLEASE REMEMBER TO RETURN YOUR LoonWatch Data Form and your signed Loon Volunteer Hours Form.