Category Archives: Interesting Info

Laps 4 Backs Lake Swim

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Tomorrow morning (Sunday July 31) 11-year-old Noelle Gregoire will be swimming across Province Lake for the 3rd year to raise money for Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Noelle will start her swim at 10 am from the Bailey Road area and finish near Rt. 153 at Butler Field about 11:30 am

 You are invited to come out and cheer her on – not only for her swim, but also for her recovery from spine surgery last November.

Noelle will use all the donations she receives to purchase toys for Children’s hospital to donate to their young patients as well as grant wishes to ill children in need.

Laps-4-Backs T-shirts will be available for sale after the event.

You can read the details regarding Noelle and donate at:

at www.gofundme.com/laps4backs2016

 

IT’S A BOY! NO IT’S A GIRL! MAYBE IT’S BOTH!

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We have some exciting news to share for all of us around Province Lake. The Loons have had a pair of chicks! This is the first time that we are aware of this occurrence. Although very exciting to us on the PLA Board, the folks at the NH Loon Preservation Committee, and possibly to you, WE NEED YOUR HELP!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not go near them. Keep a very keen eye out when driving your boats and skiers … the young ones are not able to react like the adults can. Also, please spread the word to watch out and stay clear. If you must see what the chicks look like, check out the photo’s below and on the home page scrolling photo’s, compliments of Thom and Jan Townsend with a zoom lens camera. You will also start seeing red warning signs as pictured below.

One final note … a huge thanks goes out to Steve and Mary Craig and Thom and Jan Townsend who every year put out the nest and signs and monitor what is going on. There is finally success for the proud Grandparents.

Again, please help us out and educate others! And watch our website and Facebook page for any additional news.

Photo’s are from Thom and Jan Townsend, copying, re-posting etc. is strictly prohibited without their written consent.

 
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Baby Eagles and an Article about Loons

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Thanks to some great photography from the Nickerson family, I can share with you some photo’s of two baby eagles that were in the nest along Point Road.  One photo only shows one baby in the nest and the other shows the two of them on a limb .. see below.  These were taken over the last couple of weeks and I am guessing they may have flown the coup by now.
Baby Eagle 2014Baby Eagles 2 - 2014
​Also, a fellow member forwarded the below article about Loon’s that has some good information that you should share with families and friends.
A recent NH Union Leader Story:
July 02. 2014 7:30PM

Loon activists urge boater holiday caution

DAN SEUFERT
Union Leader Correspondent

MOULTONBOROUGH — Loons may be protected by the government, but loon preservation specialists say lots of disruption and death of young birds occurs over holiday weekends.

“People see the loons, and they want to get closer because they are cute, or they don’t see them at all and they hit them crossing the lake,” said Harry Vogel, senior biologist/executive director of the Loon Preservation Committee.

This July 4th weekend, the committee is asking people to play it safe when it comes to loons on New Hampshire lakes and ponds. Vogel said boaters should stay at least 150 feet away from adult loons and their chicks.

“People may or may not see them when the loons cross the lake. We’re asking boaters to keep a close eye on what’s ahead of them,” Vogel said.“Also, when boaters see them in coves, remember that the parent loons have full-time jobs to do, and anything any of us do to disturb what they are doing can cause problems, maybe even deaths.”

Loons, a threatened species in New Hampshire, are protected by state and federal laws from hunting or harassment.

The Loon Preservation Committee was created in 1975 in response to concerns about a dramatically declining loon population and the effects of human activities on loons.

Its mission is to restore and maintain a healthy population of loons throughout New Hampshire, to monitor the health and productivity of loon populations as sentinels of environmental quality, and to promote a greater understanding of loons and the larger natural world.

For more than 35 years, the Loon Preservation Committee has undertaken state-wide monitoring, research, management and outreach to preserve loons and their habitats. The committee has a large grassroots network of more than 1,500 members and volunteers.Last year, the Loon Preservation Committee recorded 157 loon chicks hatched, but nearly a quarter of them did not survive, Vogel said.

Vogel also urged anglers to use non-leaded sinkers and avoid poisoning the birds.The Legislature has ruled that all lead sinkers under 1 ounce must be replaced with non-lead sinkers by 2016.

dseufert@newstote.com

WILLIAM CARTER said:

The use or sale of lead sinkers weighing one ounce or less is already illegal in New Hampshire, as is the use or sale of  lead jigs (weighted fishhooks) less than one inch long.

See pages 10 and 11 of Fish & Game’s Freshwater Fishing Guide for 2014, which is on line at:

http://www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/fishing/freshwater/pageFlip

What will change June 1, 2016, is that it will become illegal to use or sell lead jigs more than one inch long.

See the law at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/xviii/211/211-13-b.htm

If you are hosting or meeting visitors from other states who will be fresh-water fishing in New Hampshire, don’t let them be caught unaware, and help protect New Hampshire’s loons.

July 4, 2014 10:48 am

 

PLA Boat Parade Is Back!

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A fellow laker has offered to organize the PLA Boat parade … it has been several years since we have had the fourth of July boat parade, so it is nice we are going to give it another go.
The parade will be this coming Saturday the 5th of July and will start at 1:00 over near the Province Shores Campground.

So, get the kids and family together and get your boat all decked out and meet up over near the campground … its a great way to show your lake and American spirit.
Boat Parade 2008

Loon Nest Goes In!

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It doesn’t take long for the Loons to arrive once the ice is out.  Soon after that they will pair up and start looking for a nest.  That is the time we put the nest in the lake.  Usually we try to get the nest in on or before Mother’s day.  However, this year we were a little late (May 19th) as we needed to do some repairs to the old canopy which was worn out and resting low on the nest.  We contacted the Loon Center and they sent out a biologist and made the necessary repairs on May 17th.  The new canopy is much higher so the Loons should not be picking at it.

DSCF0017The repaired loon nest is almost ready to be placed.

Once we have the nest in the water we then search the shoreline to collect natural nesting material – twigs, leaves, muck and some aquatic weeds.  The material is then placed on the nest to try to make it easy for the Loons to make it their place/home.

DSCF0021Natural materials are added and we are ready to head out!

The Loons must sense something because every time we prepare the nest they happen to swim by and follow us.  Once we have the nest ready to go, we tow it to it’s destination in the lake.

DSCF0023Off we go!

We place the nest approximately 100 yards out from the entrance of Hobbs Brook along with the stay away signs.  We try to place the nest so boaters can safely go around the nest to travel up Hobbs Brook without disturbing it.  We ask that you please stay as far away as possible so as not to disturb the loons.  We can only hope that this year will yield a baby chic.

DSCF0028In place and ready …. Will this be the year?

 If there are any concerns with Loon activity, do not hesitate to call us at – 603 539 4167.

See you on the Lake!

Steve and Mary Craig                                                                                                  Province Lake Loon Monitors