We all love the common loons and their very unique cry on our lakes even when it is heard in the middle of the night!
As far as I know, there is only one nest in Dunany. It is on Curran. So, when we were approached by Développement ornitologique Argenteuil who proposed to install a nesting platform on one of the other three lakes, I said sure.
By the way, this NGO is strongly supported by the MRC – which pays for the platform – and the Townships of Wentworth and Gore.
Black Lake was chosen because it has a large inhabited area – so-called Frenchies bay – where loons can reproduce away from their natural predators (that includes us). By the way, loons lay their eggs in June.
Here I want to thank Maurice Pilon who happily volunteered to help install the platform and will handle the maintenance, including the removal in the fall and the re-installation once the ice is gone. The man with him in the pictures that illustrate this Post taken on June 1 is Martin Picard, the biologist who runs the DOA.
Let us hope some loons will like this new home.
As for us, if you wish to have a look at it, look from afar, use binoculars. Getting close to the platform will scare away the loons and defeat our purpose.
This is great , nothing I love better than to hear the call of our Lake Loons. What a wonderful idea, I hope they love their new home as much as we love having them around.
Cathy
Great initiative. Having grown up on Black Lake, to my knowledge there has never been a successful breeding pair of loons on Black. Lets hope this works
Wonderful news!
I will take good care of the platform and advise if loons adopt it for nesting
Yes, there are loons on Black Lake every year. It has been two years since I have seen baby loons but at that time at the end of the season, I watched 3 adult loons teach 2 smaller ones how to take off from the lake for the first time. It was quite something to see. Thank you Maurice for being part of this.
yessir I am a babysitter, I also actually do a fun summer camp called hayclub. You or just a single person go drive to 571 macdougall road just facebook pm me saying k, my kids want to go. I will actually talk to my president John Paul Robert Hay… I also do paddle all,swimming,fishing,aqua fit… I also tell you all this!! Dont waorry