What began as Loon Census Day became SIX LOONS and a BEAR CUB! 

LOON REPORT: A total of six loons were observed during the 2025 Loon Census, sponsored by the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation. Four loons were spotted near Alden's camp, one on the boat launch side of the lake and one in between Charles Island and Turtle Rock.

BEAR CUB SIGHTING: Swimming across the lake near Keith Park's place, we noticed a bear cub, much to our amazement. At first we thought it was a floating log. Then, using binoculars, we saw furry ears! No other cubs or a mama bear in sight. The cub made it to shore and scurried away. We will add the cub sighting to the loon census report. (Click to watch video on Facebook)

THANK YOU to Adine Viscusi, Zach Dorfman, Franchesca Fonda and Regina Bethel for joining me in the census today.

Joanne Conley

Appreciating iconic Adirondack loons goes beyond their hauntingly beautiful calls. 

Loons are iconic symbols of the Adirondacks and offer environmental, cultural, and ecological value. 

The common loon is an emblem of the Adirondack wilderness. Its eerie, echoing calls evoke the spirit of solitude and untouched nature. For locals and visitors alike, hearing a loon is a quintessential Adirondack experience—a moment of deep connection to the natural world - and we at Eagle Lake are fortunate to hear these calls every day.

Loon Watching Tips

• Use binoculars or a camera with a long lens to watch loons.

• Follow the ‘Rule of Thumb’ - When you extend your arm in front of you with your thumb up, you should be able to completely cover the animal you are looking at. If any part of the animal is not covered by your thumb, you are too close. Please give them more space!

• Learning loon behavior can help you distinguish if a bird is in distress or behaving in a normal manner. Adult loons will vigorously “penguin dance” on the water or call loudly to distract people or predators away from chicks or a nest. If you see this behavior, you are stressing them out and should leave the area. 

• Exploring the water on your motorboat or jetski? Chicks are not able to dive well, so sometimes they can’t move quickly enough to get away. Be conscientious of your surroundings, and keep your distance from loons. If your wake is making waves on the shoreline or small islands, please slow down so you don’t flood a nest.

• Paddling? Stay at least 100 feet from the shoreline to avoid accidentally scaring a loon off its nest or disturbing loon families. If they are constantly moving away from you and tremoloing, you are too close for their comfort.

• Visiting an island? Keep an eye out for a nesting loon! They are easily disturbed by people exploring or camping and may abandon a nest if people approach too closely for their comfort.
  
  Human Disturbance
  People can easily disturb incubating loons and cause them to abandon their nest. When out on the lake, especially during the spring and summer, please watch for nesting loons or loons with chicks. Remember that loons and other wildlife share the water with us; observing loon families and their behavior from a respectful distance (at least 100’) will benefit both humans and wildlife.

Disturbance of loons by other wildlife or humans can disrupt incubation and cause a nest to fail or be abandoned.