Maine Audubon has been working to protect Common Loons for decades, so we know that the Fourth of July is one of the busiest periods on Maine lakes and ponds. The potential for conflict is high, especially since many loons have vulnerable chicks by their sides in July or may still be nesting. In …
Loons
Happy Fourth of July: Loon Restoration Project Update
By Ethan Daly, Loon Restoration Team Technician I was recently checking in on one of our new loon nesting raft sites near Gray, Maine. As I stood on the shore, speaking with a volunteer about how to minimize human disturbances to the raft, we watched two paddle boarders weave in between our …
Loon on a Raft: Loon Restoration Project Update
By Oskar Mattes, Loon Restoration Technician The start of May is a busy time of year for life of all kinds across our state. Songbirds are returning to their breeding grounds, the forsythia and daffodils are in full bloom, and the oak and maple leaves are just starting to peek out. Common Loons …
Talking Tackle with the Fish Lead Free team
Maine Audubon’s Fish Lead Free project has been busy over the winter attending events and spreading the lead-free fishing word! Why lead-free? Because loons! Loons will mistake small lead sinkers on lake bottoms for gravel to help aid in digestion or will consume fish that have a piece of lead …
Maine Legislature Passes Suite of Bills to Protect Maine’s Lakes
The Maine Legislature this week finalized a set of bills intended to protect and enhance water quality on freshwater lakes and ponds. The bills, each passing with bipartisan support, tackle a variety of emerging freshwater issues, including aquatic invasive species, shoreland zoning, and wake …
A Loony Winter
To say we've had crazy weather this winter in Maine would be an understatement. Many lakes remained unfrozen as we headed into the winter, then finally iced over, only to unthaw in a warm spell, and freeze again with the next cold snap. These conditions have made it tricky for all of us planning on …
Fish Lead Free: Recycle Time!
We recycled 218 POUNDS of lead fishing tackle this past week! Maine Audubon has been collecting lead tackle from anglers across the state for about ten years through our Fish Lead Free initiative to reduce loon deaths. It only takes a loon ingesting one small piece of lead tackle to result in the …
Numbers are in for Maine Audubon’s 40th Annual Loon Count
(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 …
Singing in the Rain with the Maine Loon Restoration Project
One of Maine Audubon’s most visible projects is the Annual Loon Count, where more than 1500 volunteers go out, on the third Saturday in July, to count loons and give us a snapshot of the loon population. But we’ve also got a major project aimed at increasing loon nesting success and survival, called …