We have had a good week on the Loon Project. A few days ago, the November 2020 issue of Condor: Ornithological Applications came out that contains our article on the declining loon population in northern Wisconsin. Our article was selected as an “Editor’s Choice” for the issue! Linda’s photo graces the cover, and it
features Linda’s “own” loons in a touching embrace. Of course, there is brutal irony here. The article documents the fact that there are fewer and fewer two-chick broods in the Northwoods these days. Linda’s picture, therefore, displays an exception to the trend of reduced breeding success in the past quarter century.
Condor’s list of the articles most often read by visitors to the journal website.
Speaking of our article, as of today it is the one most frequently read by visitors to the journal’s website. I take heart to see this; maybe that means that we are getting the word out that Wisconsin’s loon population should not be taken for granted. During my optimistic moments, I hope that attention focused on the fragility of our population and its current downward trend might help us take the first easy and obvious step to help loons. What is this step? First, we must get rid of lead sinkers and jigs, which kill many Wisconsin loons each year painfully and needlessly. This requires simply having the sense of responsibility to replace all of the sinkers and jigs in our tackle boxes with lead replacements that work just as well but do not kill loons and other wildlife. If we take this simple step and — here’s the hard part — have the chutzpah to ask our friends and relatives and neighbors to do the same, we can start a wave and get it done. Are you willing to step up and do this for Wisconsin’s loons?
A second piece of good news for the Project this week was the acceptance for publication of our collaborative paper on climatic and land-use impacts hurting the northern Wisconsin loon population. As with the just-published Condor article, this accomplishment is decidedly bittersweet. While it is nice to have your work recognized as important and worthy of publication, it is a shame to see yet more scientific evidence that spells trouble for loons.