MAINE – Maine Audubon is putting out a call for volunteers to help with the 29th Annual Maine Audubon Loon Count, which will take place from 7 to 7:30 a.m. on July 21.
No special skills are required to participate, nor is a background in biology or environmental science. All that is required of volunteers is a pair of sharp eyes (which can be aided with binoculars), the ability to record what they see, and an assignment from Maine Audubon to scout a specific lake or pond.
In 2011 the loon count estimate, which is based on volunteer counts, was over 3,300 adults and 600 chicks in the more populous southern half of Maine. Those figures are an all-time high since counting began in 1983, and the number of chicks was up 30 percent over the previous annual high set in 2007.
Wildlife biologists at Maine Audubon believe the encouraging results were attributable in large part to a dry June and favorable weather conditions on the day of last year’s count.
This summer, however, may shape up differently. Of particular concern to biologists was a very rainy late spring, including a severe storm in early June when nearly five inches of rain fell in 24 hours. High water levels are a danger to loon nests, which are typically found along the shorelines of lakes and ponds. When water levels rise too high, too quickly, eggs simply float away.
However, Maine Audubon biologist Susan Gallo says that if there was a silver lining in those dark clouds that dumped all that rain, it’s that the storm occurred early enough in the season that adult loons have had ample time to rebuild nests and try again.
“Loons do re-nest if their first attempt fails,” explains Gallo, “which has us hopeful that maybe the rain events didn’t affect overall numbers as much as they would have if they’d struck later in the season.”
There’s another factor that may have had an effect on loon populations, and it’s one that scientists had never had to consider in Maine until this year – fireworks.
While publicly sanctioned fireworks have long been a tradition on the Fourth of July, this year marks the first time that private citizens in Maine have had access to consumer fireworks. While many cities and towns have passed local ordinances limiting or banning them, those laws vary by town and summer visitors may not be familiar with town-specific regulations.
The effects of prolonged fireworks displays on loons and other wildlife are difficult to quantify, though their effects on water quality have been better documented in places where fireworks have long been legal. Maine Audubon plans to collect observations from some volunteers about loon behavior during prolonged fireworks displays in an effort to assess any potential impact.
Volunteers interested in participating in this year’s loon count are asked to contact Susan Gallo before July 19 to be assigned a particular lake or pond. She may be reached by phone at Maine Audubon at 781-6180 ext. 216 or by email at sgallo@maineaudubon.org.
The Maine Loon Project was launched in 1983 as part of a joint effort by Maine Audubon and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to assess Maine’s loon population. At the time, very little was known about the loon population in Maine, but after nearly 30 years of surveys like the one taking place July 21, scientists now know that populations of this iconic bird have been steadily rising across the state over time.
Gallo says that the best practices to ensure healthy loon populations boil down to common sense.
“If we all give loons some space, stay away from nests and chicks, and work to keep our lakes and ponds clean and clear,” says Gallo, “it all adds up and contributes to making life a little easier for adults raising their chicks.”
