(Above photo: This striking photo was taken by Elizabeth Payne, an annual loon counter; used by permission) And just like that we have 40 years of loon count data for the state of Maine! On July 15, 1503 volunteer loon counters headed out to 374 lakes to gather important data, allowing Maine …
loon count
Loon Count: Forty years and still counting!
The morning of Saturday, July 15, dawned with clouds and light drizzle. But that did not deter the hundreds of volunteers who fanned out across the state on several hundred Maine lakes to count loons! Those clouds along with heavy fog did make for poor visibility in some of the more northern areas, …
Join Maine Audubon’s 40th annual loon count on July 15
Early Saturday morning in mid July, on the shores of hundreds of Maine lakes, people are getting coffee and tea, studying maps, prepping their boats, dusting off binoculars, and meeting up with neighbors who they may only see this one time each year: They are getting ready for the Annual Loon …
Maine Audubon’s 2022 Loon Count Brings in New Lakes, Counters!
Final results from Maine Audubon’s Annual Loon Count for 2022 estimate that adult loon numbers dipped slightly this year but chick numbers are up! Long-term trends continue to show a strong adult population that has grown steadily over the years, and a stable population of chicks over time. The …
Guest blog post: Passing the Loon Count baton
My loon-count crew was ready with time to spare, fortified with Fruit Loops and cranberry juice (I know it’s a sugar bomb, but hey, we’re grandparents). I spread the map on the console of the boat, shoved off from the dock, and headed out to do my part for loon science on sector 3 of China …
Annual loon count scheduled for July 16
Did you know that loon chicks can swim right away but need parental care for their first three months? That the shape of a loon’s forehead or length of its neck can change to indicate stress? And that Maine is fortunate to be home to the largest Common Loon population in the Northeast? For nearly …
2021 Annual Loon Count Shows Importance of Long Term Studies
Adults up, chicks down, but what does it all mean? As Maine Audubon releases the data from its 2021 Annual Loon Count, it underscores the importance of long-term studies and highlights the need to look beyond the one-day count to understand the data. The annual loon count takes place on the …
The 2021 Annual Loon Count is in the books!
Once again, as they have every year since 1983, volunteers across Maine set their alarm clocks early, gulped down some coffee, and were out on lakes by 7 a.m. to record observations about Common Loons in the Annual Loon Count. For half an hour, more than a thousand volunteers were paddling kayaks, …
Volunteers Get Creative During 2020 Annual Loon Count
In a year when it seemed like just about everything could go wrong, a few things did go right. Thanks to 48 regional coordinators and 1,347 volunteers, Maine Audubon's Annual Loon Count was one of them. They overcame many hurdles in order to complete the annual snapshot census of Maine's loon …