For your viewing pleasure: Vermont wildlife watching tips for July
Sawyer Loftus
It's a Vermont July, the weather can be hot and sticky, but also offers the best time to hit the waters of the Green Mountain state for a little birding.
July is the best time to spot the elusive loon in Vermont, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. In Vermont, loons were endangered until 2009, now there are over 100 territorial pairs in the state.
Before you grab your paddles and binoculars be sure to follow these tips and rules for wildlife viewing in Vermont.
Don't harass the loons— it's the law
Loons can become stressed very easily so Vermont Center for Ecostudies asks boaters and wildlife viewers to avoid coming too close to the birds.
Fish and Wildlife suggest using binoculars to view the birds from a safe distance. If a loon is swimming away from you, don't pursue it, odds are you've stressed it out.
Pursuing a loon that is stressed could be considered harassment and because loons are migratory birds it's against the law, according to the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
If you're fishing on a body of water and see loons coming near you, reel in your lines.
Loons are known for stealing bait and 50 percent of loon deaths are caused by eating lead fishing gear or getting tangled in your line.
If your boat has a motor observe the “no wake speed” law within 200 feet of shoreline as the wakes can flood nests and displace eggs and chicks, according to the Vermont Center for Ecostudies.
Where you can find some loons
Here is a handy map that is updated regularly with loon sightings around the state.
Contact Sawyer Loftus at 802-660-1860 or sloftus@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @sawyerloftus18.