The 19 October 2004 Common Loon survey on Mille Lacs produced a total of 1545 birds in eight hours -- a typical number for this time of year, or perhaps even a bit low. A heavy fog in the middle of the lake, intermittent rain, and at times a heavy lake chop made counting difficult, and almost certainly the number of birds actually on the lake was substantially more than this.
While birds were found at nearly all 50 survey points around the lake's perimeter, the largest single flock was the 785 loons feeding together at Liberty Beach on the southeastern side. An additional smaller group of 101 birds here plus six lone individuals put the total at this stop at 892 birds. Other concentrations included 213 loons at the U.S. Highway 169 rest stop just south of Garrison, and another 140 at St. Alban's Bay. -- Anthony X. Hertzel -- [email protected]
