Saw a loon? Log it. Each sighting records who, how many, where, and what they were doing — and over time the observations paint a picture of where and when the loons hang out, how many chicks hatch, and where they nest.
Open loons
Add a sighting or browse past ones
How to log a sighting
Tap Log Observation
Open the form from the top of the page.
Count the loons
Record adults (and optionally how many are paired vs. unpaired), chicks, and juveniles.
Pin the location
Tap the map where you saw them, or use Use my location on a phone to drop the pin where you are — handy out on the water. Add the lake and a location/area name.
Add IDs and nesting
If the loons are banded, add their loon IDs. Note any nesting activity if you saw it.
Record behavior and conditions
Pick what they were doing (swimming, diving, calling, etc.), plus weather, wind, and any disturbance. Add the time and how long you watched.
Add photos and notes
Attach one or more photos and any notes.
Save
Your sighting joins the list, the map, and the running totals.
Three ways to view sightings
- Map — every sighting plotted on the lake. Click an area on the map to filter to just that spot.
- Cards — a visual grid grouped by month, with per-month loon counts.
- Details — a sortable table that's great for scanning lots of sightings at once.
Switch between Cards and Details with the toggle; the map sits above both.
Summary stats
The cards at the top give a quick snapshot: total observations, loons tracked (unique banded IDs, or the latest count), chick sightings, and nesting reports.
Filtering
Open Filters to narrow things down by:
- Lake and location/area
- Date range
- Loon ID (find every sighting of a specific banded bird)
- With chicks only
A badge shows how many filters are active, and Clear all resets them. When filters are on, you'll see how many of the total observations match.
Photos and exports
- Download photos — grab all the photos from the currently shown sightings as a single ZIP (the filename reflects your filter, e.g. a specific area or loon ID).
- Export — download the observations as an Excel spreadsheet, including counts, location, conditions, behaviors, nesting, notes, and observer.
Editing and deleting
You can edit or delete your own sightings (admins can manage any). Open a sighting to view its full details — counts, IDs, nesting, behaviors, conditions, notes, and photos.
Earn a badge
Logging loon sightings can earn you the Loon Spotter badge — see Badges.
Sign in required
Logging sightings needs an account.