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Live Loon Cam

Loon Nest streaming from the Lakes Region of New Hampshire

 

Live broadcast from early May till mid-July

Updated May 10, 2022

News Headlines (scroll down for Biff’s Blog):

Looncam 2022

Loons are very active this spring and we look forward to the nesting season.  The 2022 loon cam nest and camera were installed on May 2’nd.  You can see the live stream below.  The camera is in the same location as last year.  In 2021, the loons of first LoonCam didn’t nest until May 24’th.  In the weeks leading up to nesting, it is interesting to watch them discover the nest, prepare it and mate.  They are already visiting the nest two or three times a day.   

Here’s a minute long clip from the looncam of the loons calling on a rainy night that was caught while setting up the camera.  https://loon.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Looncall2.mp3

Live LoonCam

 

2022 LoonCam Highlight Playlist (click to start)

 

Looncam 1 (2022 History)

  • 5/2  Nest placed and camera started May 2.  Loons watched the installation and made several visits to the nest in the hours following.  
  • 5/9  Daily brief visits from the loons.  Pair of geese have been spending time in the nest each day.  Hoping they don’t pick it as their nest before the loons are ready to take up residence.  

Featured Video – 2021 Loon Cam YouTube Play List

For best quality, set your YouTube resolution to 1080p and click the “live” button.  Click on the speaker within the video window to unmute the sound.  You can rewind the stream up to 12 hours with the red dot at the bottom of the YouTube stream.  To visit the chat room, go to YouTube directly in your browser or phone app.

2022 Loon Cam Biff’s Blog

Biff Conrod
Loon Cam 2022, Looncam

Nest choices: Where and When?

May 22, 2022

Choosing a territory is one of the most important decisions a loon needs to make. The “perfect” territory will have good water clarity, plenty of prey for both adults and chicks, is easily defensible from other loons, and has at least one good nest site.

In choosing a nest site, the loons are looking for a spot that is protected from terrestrial predators as well as wind and wave action. The more foliage the better, because it helps hide the nest from avian predators and nosy humans. The location that best fits the bill is the lee side of a tiny island in a sheltered cove. But there are not enough tiny islands in sheltered coves to accommodate all the loon pairs so they have to make do with what is available.

But who makes the choice? If you have the good fortune to watch a pair of loons nest site shopping in the spring, the soft vocalizations and head bobbing make it appear that it is a joint decision, made only after a long discussion and agreement between the two. But Walter Piper, a friend and colleague of LPC, has another idea. Walter reviewed the records of mate swaps and nest location changes on numerous loon territories in Wisconsin and found that nest site locations change much more frequently when there was a new male as opposed to a new female. (This is a bit of a simplification. Walter’s study was looking at the “win—stay, lose—switch rule”, but that’s a whole ‘nuther blog.) This is strong evidence that males choose the nest site. What it means for the loons is that it’s to the male’s advantage to keep a territory with which he is familiar; it’s to the female’s advantage to get on a territory that’s been held by one male for a long time.

And who chooses when to start nesting? This is a little more complicated. Sometimes it may not be the pair that makes the choice. If there is interference from other loons the pair may have to forego nesting until they can secure their territory. But when the territory is secure and the nest site is chosen, it’s up to the female; if not rationally, at least physiologically. One thing we know for sure, isotope analysis has shown that the eggshell and contents are from the lake, and not from the ocean, where the loon was before flying to the lake. So the female has to consume enough nutrients to replenish what was spent during the migration, to maintain good health, and then to produce two large eggs – about two thirds of a pound. Any nest initiation in May is earlier than average, which in New Hampshire is around the first week in June. This pair are pretty reliable late May nesters so we are expecting them to be on the nest any day now.

May 22, 2022/by Biff Conrod
https://loon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Loon-Preservation-Committee-Logowhitetextnb-300x300.png 0 0 Biff Conrod https://loon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Loon-Preservation-Committee-Logowhitetextnb-300x300.png Biff Conrod2022-05-22 12:14:272022-05-22 12:14:27Nest choices: Where and When?
Biff Conrod
Loon Cam 2022, Looncam

Nest Raft Visitors

May 18, 2022

While the loons are settling in to their summer home and before they initiate nesting, now is a good time to enjoy the vast array of neighborhood wildlife likely to show up on the loon cam. The most frequent visitor is the red-winged blackbird. There is a shrubby marshland behind the camera, which is the preferred habitat of this bird. The resident male uses the raft as a perch for singing his “conk-a-ree” song, declaring territorial rights. You can also hear the “check” calls that both sexes make.

The painted turtle is the most common turtle in New Hampshire and you are likely to see as many as a half-dozen sunning themselves on the nearby rocks, as well as on the raft. They will continue to use the raft when the loons are nesting, well out on the edge of the corners in case the nesting loon decides visiting hours are over. The loons are much less tolerant of the snapping turtles, which will occasionally approach the raft. Despite their pugnacious attitude, the snappers pose little threat to the adult loons.

The most frequent nighttime visitor is the muskrat. These semi-aquatic rodents forage for food in the water but they need a dry place for eating. They build eating platforms out of mud and vegetation but they will use any available ready-made platform. Unoccupied nesting rafts make great eating platforms and the muskrats have been known to chew an access hole through the bottom of the raft so they can be more inconspicuous as they come and go. LPC now wraps the raft bottoms in a steel mesh to thwart the muskrat’s penchant for remodeling.

There is a resident osprey pair on this lake and some lucky viewers have witnessed an osprey scooping up a fish and flying off with it. Other visitors include great blue herons, kingfishers, otters, and various waterfowl. The loons will be nesting soon but there is much to see while we wait.

May 18, 2022/by Biff Conrod
https://loon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Loon-Preservation-Committee-Logowhitetextnb-300x300.png 0 0 Biff Conrod https://loon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Loon-Preservation-Committee-Logowhitetextnb-300x300.png Biff Conrod2022-05-18 09:49:462022-05-18 09:49:46Nest Raft Visitors
Biff Conrod
Loon Cam 2022

Those Darn Geese

May 11, 2022

A topic receiving much attention on the Loon Cam is the pair of geese visiting the nest raft on a regular basis. They appear to have much more interest in it than the loon pair has. Geese have been known to nest on LPC nest rafts, although it is a very rare occurrence.

Because geese tend to nest a few weeks earlier than loons, they have an advantage in choosing nest sites. The incubation and nest brooding times for the geese are almost identical to those of the loons: 28 days for incubation and the chicks leave the nest in one or two days. So if the geese begin nesting on the raft in the next few days, then the raft would be unavailable to the loons until mid June. If this happens, the loons might wait, they might choose to nest elsewhere, or they might not nest this year. These possibilities are always present, whether or not the geese usurp the raft.

LPC would prefer to have loons nesting on the raft but we don’t own the lake and we can’t dictate the behavior of the wildlife residents on the lake. But we can take comfort in knowing that the goose and loon populations have both been increasing over the past few decades. Nature seeks a balance, and the loons fit comfortably in the balance.

May 11, 2022/by Biff Conrod
https://loon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Loon-Preservation-Committee-Logowhitetextnb-300x300.png 0 0 Biff Conrod https://loon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Loon-Preservation-Committee-Logowhitetextnb-300x300.png Biff Conrod2022-05-11 09:59:532022-05-11 09:59:53Those Darn Geese
A Member a Day in May

Support the mission of the Loon Preservation Committee by joining or renewing during our membership drive.

Since 2014, LPC has streamed live footage of nesting loons to the public. Viewers are able to witness the entire nesting process, including nest site selection, egg laying, incubation, and (in most years) the hatching of chicks. Much of the time, once the eggs arrive, the scene is the same: a loon sitting in a nest.  Occasionally (often several times per hour) the loon will move around or stand up and turn the eggs.  The male and female loons take turns incubating, and nest exchanges happen several times each day and can last minutes or much longer.  Sometimes, the loons communicate quietly with each other, and they will occasionally will show agitation when the sitting loon isn’t ready to leave the nest.  Watching a hatch and the chick learning to swim are must see events.  While the loons on our webcam have historically experienced high levels of nesting success, this is not always the case.  We can’t control nature, and nesting loons face many challenges.  We have witnessed eggs and chicks lost due to predation, sibling rivalry and water level changes. Nothing is guaranteed.  The loon cam can be fascinating to watch and to some, addictive.

Sound is included in the stream, letting us listen in on quiet conversations between the pair.  Current LPC biologists, former LPC biologists, and our Loon Cam operator will periodically post to our looncam blog. The blog can be found at the bottom of this page this page,  and entries provide insight, and perspective.  Because camera technology sufficient to continuously monitor loon nests is a relatively new development, footage captured by the loon cam might raise new questions about loon behavior. Our bloggers strive to provide insight or hypotheses into these questions.

Along with the streaming broadcast, the YouTube chat window is often open for loon lovers to chat about what they are seeing.  LPC biologists will occasionally join the chat for Q&A sessions.

The live stream has a replay feature and viewers are able to rewind up to 12 hours to watch an egg turning, nest exchange, or other interesting events.  LPC maintains a video archive, so if you miss an event of interest, we may be able to go back and make a clip of it. Over the years, well over 100 video clips have been saved.  Many are available on LPC’s YouTube channel.

Please visit  LPC’s YouTube Channel.to see the video clip archive.  Watch a chick returning to a nest and much more.  LPC has a large collection of recorded loon nesting activity.

To help understand the local climate, there is a Weather Underground station near the camera.  Here is the link.

YouTube Chatting Policy

LPC loon cams broadcasts use the YouTube chat feature so that viewers who subscribe to LPC’s YouTube channel can interact with each other, educate each other, and notify each other when events that have occurred, like egg turns, nest exchanges or a visit by the big turtle. In order for LPC to keep the chat open as a family friendly site, dialog should remain on topic and civil. We’ve learned from previous years that a moderation is occasionally needed but there isn’t always a moderator on duty.  If chatter goes too far off topic or becomes hostile, a moderator will take action by interjecting, removing comments, blocking users and temporarily shutting down the chat. If you need to alert the operator to policy violations, please send email to looncam@loon.org

Please help us keep the chat open by following these guidelines:

  • When posting, consider that there may be dozens of people reading your post.
  • Contribute questions and comments that are on topic and family friendly.  Don’t worry about asking about something that has come up before.  Many viewers are stopping by for the first time.  The LPC staff is happy to answer questions, and other viewers are often willing to offer their opinions, insight and opinions.
  • Be nice to each other and especially welcoming to first time chatters. We want the chat room to be a friendly place for nature lovers to communicate with each other about loons.  There is no room in the chat for aggressive (or passive aggressive) comments towards other chatters. Comments that LPC staff believe to violate this rule may be deleted, and repeat offenders may be temporarily or permanently banned from the chat room.
  • People are welcome to say hello when they first join a chat session but others should limit the cascaded acknowledgements of “hellos”, “good byes” and  “how are yous” especially during times when there are more than just a few viewers.  Too much chatter makes it hard for other viewers to find information about loons in the chat stream.  Please help keep the signal to noise ratio high.
  • Suggestions, complaints, concerns and requests to be unbanned should be emailed to the loon cam operator at looncam@loon.org

The Nesting Pair

Loon Cam FAQ

Camera Info

Loon Cam News

Nesting PairLooncam FAQCamera InfoPrevious Year Looncam Blogs
PreviousNext

The Loon Cam 1 Nesting Pair 

The members of the regular pair on this lake were both originally banded in 2013. Because they were banded as adults and loons do not reach adulthood until age three, we know that they are, at minimum, 11 years old; however, because they were banded after hatching chicks and the average loon does not hatch a chick until ~6 years of age, it is likely that these loons are 14 years old or older.

The male loon’s left leg band combination is white stripe (white background with a horizontal black stripe through the middle) over orange. His right leg band combination is silver over blue stripe (blue with a horizontal white stripe through the middle).

The female loon is only banded on her right leg, which has an orange band over a silver band. The reason that she is not banded on her left leg is because she is tiny! When our banding crew caught her in 2013, they did not have small enough bands on hand to fit her left leg.

This loon pair has been together every year since they were originally banded in 2013. In that time, they have hatched 8 chicks, 6 of which have survived to the end of the summer. We hope that they will add to that number this year, and we’re excited to watch along with you as they nest!

To be alerted when a hatch is underway subscribe to the free LPC newsletter.

Loon Cam 1 FAQ

When will the eggs hatch?
The loon pair at the 2021 loon cam 1 site typically lay eggs around May 24 and they hatch around June 20’th.  We’ll update this information once there are eggs in the nest.

How does the loon cam work?
The camera about 30 feet from the nest, on a wooden pole mounted in the water.  An Ethernet cable supplies power and an internet connection to the camera, on shore.  Sound comes from a microphone, mounted on the side of the nest. It is muffled to avoid picking up people talking and there may be occasions where it is muted to protect the privacy of the neighbors. The video stream runs 24×7, over a business class internet service to YouTube Live. With this design, hundreds can view the video feed at the same time, and the stream is converted to match the viewer’s device and internet connection speed. We also employ a streaming archive/retrieval service and can make a video clip of interesting events.

Can I see the archived videos? 
The YouTube player is configured so that you can replay the most recent twelve hours of the video stream. This is useful if you missed watching a nest switch or egg turning. Edited video clips from the archive are occasionally published on the Loon Preservation Committee’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/LoonCenter. Let us know if you see something interesting that we’ve missed. The archive goes back a few days.  Give us the date, start and end times of interest.  

Is there a Twitter hash tag to alert people to special events? 
Yes. Our blogger, Biff, will continuing using Twitter again this year. To participate, follow the #LoonCam hashtag. We encourage viewers to send out a Tweet with #looncam in the text when something special happens. That will help us go back through the archives and publish a video clip of the events. Our Twitter name is @lpc_nh.

Where is the loon cam located?
The looncam is located in the lakes region of New Hampshire, home of LPC’s Moultonboro based Loon Center.  For the privacy of the loons and the gracious people that allow placement of the loon cam, the exact location is unidentified.  If you know the location, please help us keep it secret.

Can I donate to the operation of the loon cam?
Yes! Please use the donation button here or on the loon cam page and choose the “Loon Cam” option to direct your donation.  Donations over the past few years have funded two cameras, infrared lights, a solar power array and associated equipment to make the camera reliable.  The primary cost remains the high-speed internet connection. This year, we estimate it will cost about $500 to operate looncam 1 and another $500 if we operate a second cam later in the season.  The stream starts early May and runs into mid July if two cams are used.  Your donations help make it possible to provide a high quality stream.

Can I control the view?
The camera view is mostly static but may be programmed to periodically rotate through a sequence of preset scenes.  At times, the LPC staff may take control of the camera and change the scene or follow interesting events, like a heron feeding along the shoreline.  If you want a specific view, send an email to looncam@loon.org or mention your request in the YouTube chat room.  If a loon cam operator, or “Zoomie”, is on-duty, your request may be granted.

Can I make the picture bigger?
Yes, use the YouTube full-screen icon, which shows up when you touch or mouse-over the bottom of the picture. Be sure to select a high resolution, using the settings gear.  We broadcast with a resolution of 1080p.  You can also open up the stream on the YouTube web site, smart TV, or mobile application.

How can I participate in the chat room?
On the YouTube page or mobile app (but not on the LPC’s web page), there is a chat feature, where you can have a discussion with other Loon Cam Viewers. You must be a subscriber to the LPC YouTube channel to post in chat but anyone can view it.  The LPC staff or loon cam operator (LCO) will chime in when they have a chance and not in the field.   The direct access URL to chat is https://www.youtube.com/live_chat?is_popout=1&v=H0TtwOgcGd0

Can you turn the sound up? I can barely hear it.
The camera’s microphone is very sensitive and is set as low as possible.  This provides some natural sounds while protecting people’s privacy. It is common to hear the loons quietly conversing.  At times, especially wild and crazy Friday and Saturday nights, the microphone may be muted.

Why is the picture jerky or fuzzy? 
Sometimes video jitter is the fault of the our equipment.  When there is a lot of movement, like wind on the water, the camera is overworked or we run out of upload internet capacity.  We broadcast in 1080p resolution and strive for 15-20 frames/second.  If you think the problem may be on your end, adjust the resolution on your YouTube page, using the gear in the lower right under the picture.  A high resolution (1080p) will reduce fuzziness.  If you are on a slow network, reduce the resolution to lower your bandwidth consumption.  

Who do I contact if I have a problem or question?
For technical questions or problems with the looncam, send email to looncam@loon.org For other questions or concerns, contact volunteers@loon.org

Camera Information for Loon Cam 1 

The live video image on this page comes from a high-definition Axis video camera with pan-tilt-zoom features, a microphone and night-time infrared illumination. The camera is mounted on a post, about 30 feet from the nesting area.  An Ethernet cable runs across the bottom of the pond to the shoreline, where the cable internet connection is located.  The camera sends a video stream to YouTube, which supports hundreds of simultaneous viewers. A video stream archive lets us replay choice moments and publish them on the LPC YouTube Channel. The webcam is funded through donations to the Loon Preservation Committee’s LoonCam fund. Please click here to contribute to the operational costs.

Acknowledgements

Funding for the loon cam project is made possible by LPC’s Loon Recovery Plan and your donations. Technical design and loon cam operation is provided by LPC volunteer, Bill Gassman (www.linkedin.com/in/billgassman). Streaming and archiving services are provided by YouTube, Charter/Spectrum Communications, CamStreamer and AngelCam. The camera installation would not have been possible without the generous permission of a property owner that allows our equipment and internet circuit to rest on their shore and the tollerance of the pond community.  

2019-2020
All/Loon Cam 2019/Loon Cam 2020
July 11, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

One More Healthy Chick

July 8, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Do We Have a Pip?

July 3, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Correcting Some Misconceptions

June 30, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Hatch Time Draws Near

June 24, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Loon Cam 2 Pair and Territory

July 14, 2019InLoon Cam 2019

The Saga Continues

July 14, 2019InLoon Cam 2019

What Have We Learned?

July 12, 2019InLoon Cam 2019

Our Last Hope has Hatched!

July 11, 2019InLoon Cam 2019

Getting Airborne: Why Loons Don’t Visit Your Birdbath

July 11, 2019InLoon Cam 2019

The Hatch has Begun!

July 11, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

One More Healthy Chick

July 8, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Do We Have a Pip?

July 3, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Correcting Some Misconceptions

June 30, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Hatch Time Draws Near

June 24, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Loon Cam 2 Pair and Territory

Loon Cam News By Year
All/Loon Cam 2016/Loon Cam 2017/Loon Cam 2018/Loon Cam 2019/Loon Cam 2020/Loon Cam 2021
June 27, 2021InLoon Cam 2021, Looncam

Loon Cam 2: A Checkered Past

June 22, 2021InLoon Cam 2021, Looncam

Two Chicks in the Water!

June 21, 2021InLoon Cam 2021, Looncam

There’s a Chick in the Nest!

June 18, 2021InLoon Cam 2021, Looncam

The Pip Watch is On!

June 15, 2021InLoon Cam 2021, Looncam

An Otter Visits the Raft

July 11, 2016InLoon Cam 2016

Watching the Grass Grow

June 20, 2016InLoon Cam 2016

Still Sticking…..

June 16, 2016InLoon Cam 2016

Sticking to a Nest

June 13, 2016InLoon Cam 2016

Day 30

June 4, 2016InLoon Cam 2016

The Home Stretch

July 27, 2017InLoon Cam 2017

The Final Egg Knocked Out of Nest

July 20, 2017InLoon Cam 2017

Crushed Egg

July 17, 2017InLoon Cam 2017

Possible Reasons for Inviable Eggs

July 16, 2017InLoon Cam 2017

Over-Incubation

July 12, 2017InLoon Cam 2017

Evening Loon Concert

July 23, 2018InLoon Cam 2018

A Very Successful Nesting Season

July 23, 2018InLoon Cam 2018

A quick update…

July 21, 2018InLoon Cam 2018

First Chick Hatched!

July 18, 2018InLoon Cam 2018

When Will the Eggs Hatch?

July 15, 2018InLoon Cam 2018

The Flower Garden

July 14, 2019InLoon Cam 2019

The Saga Continues

July 14, 2019InLoon Cam 2019

What Have We Learned?

July 12, 2019InLoon Cam 2019

Our Last Hope has Hatched!

July 11, 2019InLoon Cam 2019

Getting Airborne: Why Loons Don’t Visit Your Birdbath

July 11, 2019InLoon Cam 2019

The Hatch has Begun!

July 11, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

One More Healthy Chick

July 8, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Do We Have a Pip?

July 3, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Correcting Some Misconceptions

June 30, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Hatch Time Draws Near

June 24, 2020InLoon Cam 2020, Looncam

Loon Cam 2 Pair and Territory

June 27, 2021InLoon Cam 2021, Looncam

Loon Cam 2: A Checkered Past

June 22, 2021InLoon Cam 2021, Looncam

Two Chicks in the Water!

June 21, 2021InLoon Cam 2021, Looncam

There’s a Chick in the Nest!

June 18, 2021InLoon Cam 2021, Looncam

The Pip Watch is On!

June 15, 2021InLoon Cam 2021, Looncam

An Otter Visits the Raft

The Nesting Pair of Loon Cam 2

In 2016, intruding loons interfered on this territory enough to cause a nest failure. Without a nest or chicks to defend, the bond deteriorated between the pair, which had been together on the territory since 2013. The rest of the 2016 season was chaos with no clear resident pair.

In 2017, the current male and female emerged as the new resident pair and immediately began nesting. They successfully hatched and raised a chick, which suggests that both of these loons probably had previous nesting experience on other territories. We know that the male did because he was banded in 2006 on a nearby territory on the same lake. We banded the female this same year (2017), so we don’t know her previous history.

The loons can be identified by its leg bands.   The male’ left band is red over white, the right band is silver over red dot.  The female’s left band is a white stripe over blue and the right bands are silver over yellow stripe.

To be alerted when a hatch is underway subscribe to the free LPC newsletter.

Camera Information for Loon Cam 2 

The live video image on this page comes from a high-definition Axis video camera with pan-tilt-zoom features, a microphone and night-time infrared illumination. The camera is mounted on a post, about 30 feet from the nesting area.  An Ethernet cable runs across the bottom of the pond to an island.  The camera and associated equipment on the island is battery powered, recharged by solar panels.  From the island, the video stream is sent 1/4 mile to shore by WiFi, and into an internet connection.  The camera sends a video stream to YouTube, which supports hundreds of simultaneous viewers. A video stream archive lets us replay choice moments and publish them on the LPC YouTube Channel. The webcam is funded through donations to the Loon Preservation Committee’s LoonCam fund. Please click here to contribute to the operational costs.

Acknowledgements

Funding for the loon cam project is made possible by LPC’s Loon Recovery Plan and your donations. Technical design and loon cam operation is provided by LPC volunteer, Bill Gassman (www.linkedin.com/in/billgassman). Streaming and archiving services are provided by YouTube, Charter/Spectrum Communications, CamStreamer and AngelCam. The camera installation would not have been possible without the generous permission of several property owners.

Loon Cam FAQ Loon Cam 2

When will the eggs hatch?
The first egg was laid about 430PM Thursday, June 11’th. ‘The second egg arrived at 7:30AM on Sunday, June 14’th. Since incubation takes 28 days (give or take a few), the hatch is expected sometime around July 8-11’th.

How does the loon cam work?
The camera about 30 feet from the nest, on a wooden pole mounted in the water.  An Ethernet cable supplies power and an internet connection to the camera, on shore.  Sound comes from a microphone, mounted close to the nest. It is muffled to avoid picking up people talking and there may be occasions where it is set low or muted to protect the privacy of the neighbors. The video stream runs 24×7, over a business class internet service to YouTube Live. With this design, hundreds can view the video feed at the same time, and the stream is converted to match the viewer’s device and internet connection speed. We also employ a 7 day streaming archive service and can make a video clip of interesting events.

Can I see the archived videos? 
The YouTube player is configured so that you can replay the most recent twelve hours of the video stream. This is useful if you missed watching a nest switch or egg turning. Edited video clips from the archive are occasionally published on the Loon Preservation Committee’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/LoonCenter. Let us know if you see something interesting that we’ve missed. The archive goes back a week.

Is there a Twitter hash tag to alert people to special events? 
Yes. Our blogger, Biff, will continuing using Twitter again this year. To participate, follow the #LoonCam hashtag. We encourage viewers to send out a Tweet with #looncam in the text when something special happens. That will help us go back through the archives and publish a video clip of the events. Our Twitter name is @lpc_nh.

Where is the loon cam located?
It is in the lakes region of New Hampshire, home of LPC’s Moultonboro based Loon Center.  For the privacy of the loons and the gracious people that allow placement of the loon cam, the exact location is unidentified.

Can I donate to the operation of the loon cam?
Yes! Please use the donation button here or on the loon cam page and choose the “Loon Cam” option to direct your donation.  Donations over the past few years have funded two cameras, infrared lights, a solar power array and associated equipment to make the camera reliable.  The primary cost remains the high-speed internet connection. This year, we estimate it will cost about $1000 to operate both loon cams 1 and 2.  The stream starts around May 1 and runs into mid July.  Your donations help make it possible.

Can I control the view?
The camera view is programmed to periodically rotate through a sequence of preset scenes.  At times, the LPC staff may take control of the camera and change the scene or follow interesting events. If you want a specific view, send an email to looncam@loon.org or mention your request in the YouTube chat room.  If a loon cam operator is on-duty, your request may be granted.

Can I make the picture bigger?
Yes, use the YouTube full-screen icon, which shows up when you touch or mouse-over the bottom of the picture. Be sure to select a high resolution, using the settings gear.  We broadcast with a resolution of 1080p.  You can also open up the stream on the YouTube web site, smart TV, or mobile application.

How can I participate in the chat room?
On the YouTube page or mobile app (but not on the LPC’s web page), there is a chat feature, where you can have a discussion with other Loon Cam Viewers. The LPC staff will chime in when they have a chance and not in the field.   The direct access URL to chat is https://www.youtube.com/live_chat?v=UlA3pmsoNoI&is_popout=1

Can you turn the sound up? I can barely hear it.
The camera’s microphone is very sensitive and is set as low as possible.  This provides some natural sounds while protecting people’s privacy. It is common to hear the loons quietly conversing.  At times, the microphone will be muted.

Why is the picture jerky or fuzzy? 
First, try setting the resolution to 1080p on your YouTube page, using the gear in the lower right under the picture.  If you are on a slow or congested internet connection, YouTube reduces the resolution and the picture will be less sharp. The slow-down may also be on our end.  When there is a lot of movement, like wind on the water, we can run out of upload bandwidth.  We broadcast in 1080p resolution and strive for 15-20 frames/second.

Who do I contact if I have a problem or question?
For technical questions or problems with the looncam, send email to looncam@loon.org For other questions or concerns, contact volunteers@loon.org

What We Do

  • Our Work
  • Loon Cam
  • Counting Loons
  • Nest Rafts
  • Signs
  • Lead
  • Rescues
  • Outreach
  • Research
  • Recovery Initiative
  • Squam Lake Loon Initiative

About LPC

  • About Us
  • Staff
  • Board of Trustees
  • Supporting Business and Associations
  • Become a Member
  • Contact Us
  • Financial Statements and Tax Returns

Contact LPC

(603) 476-5666
183 Lees Mill Rd
Moultonborough, NH 03254
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