The tremolo, the hoot, the wail, the yodel—some say that loon calls are among the best sounds in nature. One thing is for sure: People in Maine love “their” loons! Year after year, they get up early in mid July and head out, no matter what the weather, to take part in the Maine Audubon […]
Loons
Do fireworks disturb wildlife?
We always get questions about fireworks around the Fourth of July, but since the change to Maine’s law in 2012, now allowing Maine municipalities to adopt consumer fireworks ordinances, we hear about more and more conflicts with wildlife and not just around the July holiday. This simple answer is yes, fireworks definitely disturb birds, but […]
Loon Restoration Project Update: The lesson is patience
Above photo: Loon and young at Fields Pond; photo by Wayne Foote “This year, three eggs have been laid on one raft, which is exceptionally rare!” says Maine Audubon Loon Restoration Project lead scientist Tracy Hart. Her note reveals her delight in the ways loons continue to surprise us. “Sometimes,” she says, “a new egg […]
Loons on the move: A visit to the Southern Maine Children’s Water Festival
—By Anne Heissenbuttel, Maine Audubon Loon Restoration Project Intern Kids making loon calls, shouting loon facts, playing loon trivia—that was all part of the scene on May 23, as 700 Maine fifth and sixth graders gathered in the University of Southern Maine’s recreation center in Portland to explore the Southern Maine Children’s Water Festival. Student […]
A New Way to Get Involved with the Annual Loon Count
The 42nd year of Maine Audubon’s Annual Loon Count is fast approaching! Adult Common Loons on their wintering grounds off the coast of Maine are likely already molting their winter plumage and transitioning back into breeding plumage, developing the distinctive pattern and colors many of us associate with loons, as well as new flight feathers […]
Want to Help Wildlife? There’s a Community Science Project for Everyone
Community Science is your chance to join friends, neighbors, students, and teachers in collecting valuable scientific data on wildlife in Maine. Your sightings will help us better understand, protect, and conserve Maine native wildlife and habitat. From projects led by Maine Audubon to others spearheaded by the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, there’s […]
Maine Audubon’s 41st Annual Loon Count Results Show Healthy Loon Population
Above photo: Loons on Fields Pond, Photo by Wayne Foote It was a very good year—for Maine loons! When every single number associated with the Annual Loon Count goes up, scientists at Maine Audubon say it’s a great indication that the Common Loon population is healthy. All the numbers of adult loons, loon chicks, lakes […]
There’s a loon on the pond and winter’s coming. Should you worry?
On a recent ferry ride out to the Casco Bay Islands, I spotted hundreds of Common Loons on the ocean, many of them busy diving and foraging for their seasonal diet of saltwater prey. The majority had already traded in their striking black-and-white tuxedo worn during the breeding season in exchange for the duller, grayish-brown […]
Tackling Lead, One Retailer at a Time: It Adds Up!
Earlier this fall, an ad playing on the radio caught Dana Jenkins’ attention. “Calling all fishing tackle stores in Maine,” the announcer’s voice said. “Maine Audubon wants to pay your store for its lead tackle. A new law makes it illegal to sell painted lead jigs weighing 1 ounce or less or measuring 2.5 inches […]