Loon survey

The Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association (YFBTA) on behalf of its partners, Nature Saskatchewan and Duck Mountain Provincial Park, paid the cost of enrolling Madge Lake in Bird Studies Canada's (BSC) Canadian Lakes Loon Survey (CLLC) for 2011. The program requests monitoring of Common Loons during three critical periods during the months when they are inhabiting the lake. Observed birds are recorded and then reported to BSC at summer's end.

The first survey is attempted as soon as the ice is off Madge Lake. This survey is to determine the number of established territories.

The second survey period is during the last week in June and the first two weeks in July. Surveyors record all loons seen but are carefully observing to garner a count of chicks that have hatched. Adult loons usually have one or two chicks. Surveyor's estimated that nine chicks were hatched on Madge Lake in 2011.

The third survey period occurs in late August or early September. This survey is to determine the all-important count of juvenile loons. The juveniles are the new members of the Madge Lake loon population that have survived the dangers of summer. These birds will be attempting their first migration. Adult loons feed their young for eleven weeks following chick-hatching. Juvenile loons are not flying during the period that they are fed by their parents. Surveyors found seven juveniles on Madge Lake in 2011.

Here is a summary of juvenile counts to date
2005 07
2006 09
2007 08
2008 07
2009 13
2010 13
2011 07