On Wednesday, August 9th Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) staff, Lucas Savoy, Bill Hanson, and Micah Miller; joined by community members Susan Beane and Robert Crosby set out into the basin to capture a Loon thought to be tangled in fishing lines and a lure. 

Spotted only a few days prior by Robert Crosby while exploring the Basin, Crosby contacted LAWPC and BRI to alert of the Loons condition.  

BRI was able to organize a Loon capture quickly and successfully removed the lure from the female loon, and was able to capture the male loon, take blood samples, weight, and tag him.  

We are happy to report the Basin’s Loon family is doing well and going along business as usual.  

Community Volunteer Robert Crosby is responsible for installing and maintaining the fishing line recycling tubes that surround the lake. He decided to install the tubes after finding a bird’s nest using the monofilament as nesting material and encountering tubes like ours in Florida.  

Littering fishing lines and lures is dangerous for our wildlife and habitat health. Birds, reptiles, fish, and mammals can suffer from being tangled in fishing lines and stuck by hooks and lures. It is important to pack out your fishing line or use one of our many receptacles strategically located around the watershed to prevent litter and protect the health of Lake Auburn. 

Have you spotted the Loons in the Basin this summer?