Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Loons and the St. Lawrence River

Loons normally arrive back at the river in April or May. While loons generally mate with the same partner for life, they do not travel together. The male and female will arrive at the river separately but shortly after arriving, they will start to build their nest together. Because of their ineptness on land, they will nest as close to the water as possible often close to a bank with a drop off which allows them to get to the nest from underwater. Needless to say, islands make the perfect location for loons to nest. Nests are made of twigs, marsh grasses, reeds, other dead plants, and mud so they can slip on and off the nest easily and quietly without being seen by predators. They will form the bulky nest into a mound, usually less than two feet in width, and shape the interior to fit its body. Like many of our river aquatic bird species, loons will often reuse the same nest over the next several years just fixing it up each spring rather than building a new one.
The female loon lays anywhere from one to three olive colored eggs with dark spots. Both parents will incubate the eggs over the next month (28-30 days). Once they hatch, the chicks will leave the nest within 24 hours. Though they are already able to swim, they will often be seen riding on their parents’ backs for the first few weeks. The parents will continue to feed them for the first eight weeks or so as they learn to dive and fish for themselves. By about 12 weeks they are able to fly and be independent of their parents.
In the fall, the parents will head south first, leaving the young loons to gather into flocks and make their own journey south a few weeks later. Hence, it is not usual to see multiple loons on the river in late September. The young loons will remain down south for several years. They will start to migrate in their third year but it is not until they are about six years old before they start breeding. The oldest-known loon lived for over 24 years.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Canadian fishing license and Canadian outdoors card

A big problem, Hilts said, is that there are no clear guidelines about when the call has to be made. "Should it be before you cross, when you're on the border or when you're actually in Canadian waters. We haven't been able to get a definitive answer on that," he said.
Anglers must have in their possession a Canadian fishing license and Canadian outdoors card. They cannot have in their possession any live bait bought on the American side, with the exception of worms - and the worms must be in newspaper or worm bedding. Plain dirt is not allowed. Possession of American-bought crayfish or minnows can result in a $250 fine. In addition, fines can be handed out if there are any alcoholic beverages on the boat.
The Canadians require that tickets be paid on the same day they're written. Canadian customs officials have the power to seize one's boat if the person is unable to pay. Fines can be as much as $25,000. Once again, Canadian anglers who fish the American side face no similar restrictions.
Two Canadian lawmakers, Sen. Bob Runciman (Ontario-Thousand-Islands and Rideau Lakes) and Member of Parliament Gordon Brown (Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes) have introduced a bill in the Canadian Parliament that would eliminate the need for American recreational boaters, anglers and fishing guides to report to Canadian customs when passing through Canadian waters. Exceptions would be if one sets foot on Canadian side or anchors their boat in Canadian waters.