LPC LoonCam 2 ~ Mom Loon Takes Deceased Chick Off Nest & Does Not Return 💔 Update From LPC! 7.15.26

On July 13th, the Male loon is on the nest and he wails twice before leaving the nest. The wail is one form of communication between the bonded loon pair. The female loon was nearby and she arrives back to the nest. She does not stay long, she picks up the body of her deceased chick and she swims off with it & does not return back to the nest, leaving the other egg alone. Later that evening, four sounds are heard in the empty nest - they sound like peeps coming from the egg. Today, July 15th, three LPC biologists went to the floating nest to retrieve the egg and to give an update on this nest, thoughts on why the chick died and the other loon activity. They will xray the egg to determine if it was fertilized - there were no external signs of a pip. Last Loon Egg and Wrap-up of LoonCam 2 - 2026    • Last Loon Egg and Wrap-up of LoonCam 2 - 2026   It was a sad & difficult season for the LPC looncam 2 pair. They did have many intruders that were upsetting to their nesting among all the other issues that resulted in five eggs being laid, one egg hatching & the chick dying a few hours later. They are not sure why the chick died and without its body, they can't perform a necropsy. Thank you LPC for your dedication and hard work for all the loons this season. I hope that next year will be successful for this loon pair! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This loon pair has laid a record setting 5 eggs this season! The first egg was destroyed by otters on May 24th. The second egg was laid that evening, but was removed by LPC as the loon pair left the egg due to a severe & persistent black fly swarm on the lake. A third egg was laid on June 10th but it was stolen by a mink. The fourth egg was laid on June 12th and the fifth egg on June 14th. The fourth egg hatched on 7/11/26. Chick dies on nest 7/12/26. LPC removes last unhatched egg 7/15/26. Both the male and female loons are banded. The male was originally banded as an adult in 2023, which means that he is at least 6 years old this year but more likely 9 or older. His band combination is: Left leg: Blue stripe (blue background with a horizontal white stripe) over orange dot (orange background with a centered black dot) Right leg: Blue dot (blue background with a centered white dot) over silver The female was banded as an adult in 2025, so she is at least 4 years old but more likely 7 or older this year. Her band combination is: Left leg: White dot (white background with a centered black dot) over white dot. Right leg: Orange stripe (orange background with a horizontal black stripe) over silver ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This amazing cam with its man made floating nest is streamed from the New Hampshire's lakes region. This unique channel offers a window into the life of a loon pair, capturing the raw beauty and unpredictable drama of nature throughout their breeding cycle. While nature's pace may seem slow at times, the unfolding story can quickly become gripping. Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk Courtesy of LPC Preservation Committee Loon Cam - many thanks on this camera! #loonpreservationcommittee #loons #looncam #LPC LPC’s 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. LPC loon cam 2:    • LPC LoonCam 2 - Live - 2026