We released two Common Loons this week.  Both were found grounded on roads.  One had a few abrasions on a foot and the other was slightly weak in one leg–otherwise physical examinations were completely normal.  X-rays were normal and there was no lead detected in their blood.   It’s likely these 2 had ‘crash-landed’.  (they can mistake wet pavement as a body of water)

Loons’ legs are positioned far back on their body to make swimming more efficient.  This positioning makes walking on land essentially impossible, so if they accidentally land on ground (instead of water) they are stranded.

One of the loons was released in cooperation with Larry Backlund.  You may know him as “the Loon Guy”:  every year he shares live video feed of a loon nest.  He has wonderful photos of the release on his site.

A reminder to be careful of loons on our lakes this weekend.  With all the focus on loons due to the oil spill, we shouldn’t forget that their protection begins here in their home territory.  Visit the MNDNR site for a brief news release on boating guidelines around loons.  Keep your eyes open: you should see babies with parents!

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 1st, 2010 at 8:19 am and is filed under Medical News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.