Tracking Loons By Satellite

By Doug MacPherson on Monday, December 15, 2003.

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Wildlife biologists who study loons in New Hampshire have recently gained access to information theyï¿½ve never had before. Using satellite telemetry, biologists are now able to track the winter movements of two loons who spend their summers on Umbagog Lake. Researchers hope to gain new insight into why some birds are failing to come back to Umbagog in the Spring. New Hampshire Public Radioï¿½s Doug MacPherson has more.

LIKE ALL BIRDS THAT RELY ON FISH FOR THEIR DIET, LOONS NEED OPEN WATER. IN WINTER, THEY HEAD FOR THE OCEAN. LOONS ARE ALSO TERRITORIAL. COME SPRING, THEY USUALLY RETURN TO THE SAME LAKE YEAR AFTER YEAR. BUT SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG ON UMBAGOG LAKE. KATE TAYLOR IS A BIOLOGIST FOR THE LOON PRESERVATION COMMITTEE IN MOULTONBOROUGH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

TAPE KATE TAYLOR 061 we started to notice that we were having more and more territories just completely vacant, that was highly unusual. Normally we would expect other loons to fill in those spaces and that wasnï¿½t happening. :13

IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, THE NESTING POPULATION OF LOONS ON UMBAGOG HAS FALLEN OFF DRAMATICALLY ï¿½ FROM A HIGH OF 31-TERRITORIES OCCUPIED IN 2000, TO A LOW OF 16-PAIRS LAST YEAR. BIOLOGISTS CANï¿½T ACCOUNT FOR THE MISSING LOONS. TAYLOR SAYS IF THE LOONS WERE NESTING AT OTHER LAKES ANYWHERE IN THE AREA -- RESEARCHERS WOULD KNOW IT.

TAPE KATE TAYLOR 167 one idea is, are they picking something up on the lake that is impacting them as they migrate. Is the stress of migration bringing something out that causes the birds to die. Or, are they getting something on their wintering grounds, picking something up there, that prevents them from coming back during the breeding season. :19

THE THING IS, ALTHOUGH LOONS ARE CLOSELY MONITORED IN SUMMER ï¿½ BIOLOGISTS LOSE ALMOST ALL CONTACT WITH THEM IN WINTER, SAVE FOR AN OCCASIONAL SIGHTING OF A BANDED LOON. UNTIL NOW.

TAPE KATE TAYLOR 102 we have satellite transmitters on two birds from Umbagog.
One is a female from the northern end of the lake. And one is another female from the southern end of the lake. :10

WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS IMPLANTED THE TRANSMITTERS IN AUGUST. SINCE AUGUST 17th, SATELLITES ORBITING 500-MILES ABOVE THE EARTH HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE BIRDS CONTINUOUSLY. IF A BIRD DIES, ITS TRANSMITTER WILL SIGNAL THE DROP IN BODY TEMPERATURE. TAYLOR SAYS SHE AND HER COLLEAGUES HOPE TO GET SOME ANSWERS.

TAPE KATE TAYLOR 197 ++ where are the birds spending the majority of their wintering time. Are they moving around? Are they staying in one general locale? :09

THE LOON FROM THE SOUTHERN END OF UMBAGOG LEFT THE LAKE ON NOVEMBER 13TH. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, SHE ARRIVED AT THE COAST OF MAINE, ON PENOBSCOT BAY. SHE WAS RECENTLY LOCATED JUST EAST OF STONINGTON, OFF DEER-ISLE PENINSULA.

THE LOON FROM THE NORTHERN END OF UMBAGOG LEFT ALMOST A WEEK EARLIER, ON NOVEMBER 6TH. SHE FLEW A BIT FURTHER SOUTH ALONG THE MAINE COAST, TO WATERS JUST OFF CAPE ELIZABETH. SHE WAS MOST RECENTLY LOCATED NEAR FALMOUTH. BUT THAT WAS ON NOVEMBER 27TH. HER TRANSMITTER GENERATED NO DATA AGAIN UNTIL DECEMBER 2CD, WHEN A VERY POOR QUALITY SIGNAL PLACED HER ON SEBAGO LAKE.

IF THE LOCATION IS ACCURATE AND THE BIRD, IN FACT, FLEW INLAND ï¿½ RESEARCHERS SAY THAT WOULD REPRESENT HIGHLY UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR THAT MAY INDICATE THE BIRD IS IN TROUBLE. MORE RECENT TRANSMISSIONS HAVENï¿½T BEEN STRONG ENOUGH TO GENERATE A LOCATION, BUT THEY HAVE INDICATED WILDLY FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURE READINGS. DREW MAJOR, A BIOLOGIST WITH THE U-S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, SAYS THERE ARE THREE POSSIBILITIES ï¿½ NONE OF THEM GOOD.

TAPE DREW MAJOR either the bird is dead, or the transmitter has died, or the transmitter has fallen out of the bird. : 05

MAJOR SAYS FOR THE MOMENT, RESEARCHERS ARE BAFFLED.

TAPE DREW MAJOR Weï¿½re still trying to look at the information, the data that the transmitter is giving us. Weï¿½re probably going to go out and look for a potential carcass on Sebago Lake or on the ocean. But right now, there is no consensus as to whatï¿½s happened. :11

FROM A SCIENTIFIC STANDPOINT, RECOVERING A DEAD LOON WOULDNï¿½T BE A BAD THING ï¿½ IF IT CAN SHED LIGHT ON WHY SOME BIRDS ARENï¿½T RETURNING TO UMBAGOG.

INTERESTED LISTENERS CAN TRACK THE BIRDS FOR THEMSELVES. YOU CAN FOLLOW THEIR MOVEMENTS -- AND HEAR AN EARLIER STORY ABOUT HOW THE TRANSMITTERS WERE IMPLANTED. FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, Iï¿½M DOUG MACPHERSON.