by Gary Lee
The weather turned instantly to winter last week with a little snow to save the weekend for some outside winter sports.
With four days of below-zero temperatures, Tuesday morning, a chilly -22 here, quickly froze all the lakes that were still open the day before.
Normally, small, shallow lakes freeze first and then the bigger lakes fall in line. Seventh Lake and Blue Mountain Lake are the last to freeze but these all buttoned up that night–a first by my records.
This quick change caught some water birds off guard that need a runway to fly, like some loons that were frozen in a small hole that they kept open by swimming around.
One bird on Mountain Pond up by Paul Smith’s had some fishing line on its wing and couldn’t get off the water.
Nina Schoch and some volunteers tried to catch it in open water, but were unsuccessful. They tried after the first cold night with Gumby suits on but the loons still had too much open water.
The next day, after a zero-temperature night, the loon had less open water but the ice still wouldn’t support the rescuers.
However, they did manage to corral the loon and catch it. The fishing line caught on the bird cut a cord in the wing so this loon was taken to Tufts University for repair and rehab.
Brian Lamphear called me on Wednesday and said there was what he thought a loon froze in Fourth Lake in front of Spruce Wood by Gull Rock Island.
I went over there just before dark and sure enough there was a bird out there. I asked Amy Sauer to help catch it in the morning.
The temperature was just above zero when we put on the life jackets. She said what are these for and I said, “So they can find us if we fall in.” She noted how quickly the water froze in three days.
I made a chop with my ice spud and it made a crack that went back to shore and all the way across the lake—even though there were four inches of ice.
I dragged my canoe out to the 15×15 hole where the loon was diving and made a few tries with the net before I caught him—a big bird.
This was the same loon that hung around Eagle Bay most of the summer and it still didn’t have any flight feathers. We put it in a plastic bin and took it back to shore. Thanks to Amy for the help.
I called Nina and met her in Long Lake with the bird and we banded and drew blood from it.
Later that day, the loon was released in Lake Champlain, where it should have time to grow flight feathers and fly.
It was a male, probably four years old, and should be in adult colors next year.
We may have learned something from this bird: That the juveniles in the ocean molt at different times than adults. That’s why it didn’t have flight feathers.
Friday morning, Nina called me and said there was a loon frozen in Loon Lake by Chestertown. I told her I couldn’t make it that day. So, we planned on catching it Saturday.
Friday night, Bob VanSlyke called me and told me there was a loon froze in Big Moose Lake out in front of Lake View. I told him I would be up in the morning to catch it. He said he find some help for me.
I called Nina and told her I would be going to Big Moose in the morning and she said they weren’t getting to Loon Lake until one.
I got to Big Moose and Bob’s grandson Patrick Duffy put on a Gumby suit and helped. He brought along a throw bag and a rope for security.
I put my canoe in the hole with the loon and Patrick held onto the back end to keep me in the middle of the hole. I made a few dips before catching the bird. This one was pretty nippy. We took her back to shore for pictures and then headed for Loon Lake.
When I got to Loon Lake, I could see someone out in the middle of the lake with a big landing net dipping into the water, so I figured this must be the spot.
I saw a person fall into the hole and climb back on the ice again. A crowd gathered on shore and a rope system was out on the ice within one foot of the hole where the bird was.
The person by the hole was Julie Harjung. She had on a Gumby suit. I put my canoe in the hole, and she stayed on one side so the hole covered. We dipped a few times and I broke the handle of my net, so we switched nets.
A man came walking across the ice and walked up near the hole. Julie asked him not to get too close because he might fall in–making him a rescue.
He said, I know ice and I’ve never seen anyone trying to catch walleyes that way. I said “you just throw some corn in the water and they come right up to the surface and you dip them.”
The loon came up to the surface and we missed it again. The man said that it looked like a big fish and left shaking his head. You can tell some people anything and they’ll believe it.
Shortly after the man left, I caught the bird. It was another female who was also quite feisty.
We took this bird to shore where both birds were weighed, banded and had blood drawn by Nina and the crew.
These two birds, who had flight feathers, were also taken to Lake Champlain and released that afternoon.
We may get to count these birds in the waterfowl count this weekend but that’s another story, see ya.