Eric starts removing the loon from the net

When Eric Hanson, who wears many hats at Craftsbury but who is also the Vermont Loon Recovery Project Coordinator, asked for help with a loon rescue at lunch today, he got a fast response from GRP scullers Sarah and Ben, as well as myself. An hour later we trundled down Lost Nation Road about a mile to John and Jeanne Squires’ house. We were equipped with a gill net, poles, waders, huge hand nets, a canoe and a banding box.

Down their long dirt driveway and around a corner there was the small pond surrounded by trees that one of Big Hosmer’s resident adolescent loons had mistaken for home while on a maiden flight. The problem with the pond was that it was far too small for the youngster to take off from – loons are heavy birds and on a calm day like today they would need to run across the water for at least 100 meters before being able to take flight. This adolescent had been on the pond since Sunday and it had no way off the pond on its own.

Today was Eric’s second attempt to assist the young loon. On Monday night he and GRP sculler Maggie spent over an hour trying a night rescue complete with spotlight. The loon dove every time the spotlight was on it though he and Maggie came close once with the net.

With Sarah at one end of the net wearing waders and the Squires at the other end, they stretched the net across the pond and let it sink deep. Ben was on shore at the ready with a long-handled net and wellington boots. Eric and I were in the canoe with Eric in the bow with a long handled net. Sarah and the Squires kept the net taut as they closed in on the small end of the pond.

The loon was incredibly fast and would dive deep as it eluded us over and over. All we could do was track it by its bubbles. We finally had it cornered in a small quadrant of the pond. I steered the canoe as Eric got his net ready and suddenly the loon dived directly into the net and was caught. Eric sprang into action as I maneuvered the canoe closer and in an instant he gathered the net-entangled loon in his arms.

Sarah held the loons’ towel-wrapped head and I held the loon down as Eric did the banding. The youngster’s rapid-fire heart rate reverberated through my hands and its whole body was trembling. Ben handed bands and tools to Eric and soon enough the loon was safely bundled into a big box and we were on our way to the Cove to release it back on to Big Hosmer.

It was tremendously gratifying to watch the adolescent glide away, beat its wings and begin preening itself to get its feathers back into order. Within minutes the young loon was calling and swimming back out onto sparkling Hosmer – on its home waters again.

Check out the photos of the rescue!

Sarah and I hold the loon while Ben and Eric get the bands and tools ready

Eric shows us the loons’ incredible foot with sharp nails. The loon got yellow and blue bands on one leg and silver and white on the other identifying it as an adolescent

Eric was methodical and precise, Ben admired the loon’s feet and Sarah and I held the loon tight

The youngster’s eye color is not yet the red of the adult, its plumage is still a work in progress, too

Before I could release the loon, we had to extract Eric’s thumb from the loon’s sharp beak. When the youngster made a move for my hand, I was ready to set it free

Eric noted that this posture was a great sign. Loons need to preen like this and restore order to their plumage. Freedom!

Drama in Real Life - Loon Rescue!