SPICER -- One of the delights of the summer is to spot and watch common loons on area lakes.
They are also fascinating birds to learn about, and that opportunity comes at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Green Lake Bible Camp on Green Lake.
The public is invited to hear Pam Perry, non-game wildlife lakes specialist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, talk about the popular attraction.
Perry is the coordinator for the Loon Watch program with the DNR. Volunteers on lakes throughout the loon's range in Minnesota help monitor the loon population to assist wildlife professionals.
Her presentation will show about how loons nest and care for their chicks, dive for food and communicate with each other through a series of four basic calls.
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Perry will also speak about the dangers faced by loons. They must be wary of natural predators, such as snapping turtles.
Yet it's people and their activities that pose the greatest dangers to loons. Loons are vulnerable to lead poisoning due to their practice of routinely ingesting small pieces of gravel from the bottom of lakes. If they swallow a lead sinker or jig head, the acids in the loon's digestive system slowly release the toxic lead into the bird's blood stream and kill it.
Perry's presentation is being sponsored by the Green Lake Property Owners Association.
