The loons are back and nesting on lakes statewide and we need your help to monitor their population! Every year since 1983, hundreds of volunteers have gone out to lakes and ponds across Maine on the third Saturday in July. These volunteers submit data about the number of loons they observe from 7 to 7:30 am, which gives us an excellent “snapshot” of the loon population. The Annual Loon Count allows us to monitor how the number of adults and chicks has changed over the past 40 years and make sure we know how to best protect their population!
This year, the Loon Count will take place on Saturday, July 18. We encourage you to join a group of over 1,800 volunteers and help us count the number of loons in Maine! The Loon Count occurs on lakes and ponds all across the state and volunteers can survey by boat or shore (you don’t have to have a boat to take part!).
If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact us at conserve@maineaudubon.org and tell us if there’s a specific lake or area you’d like to survey. We are always aiming to expand our coverage across the state and particularly encourage volunteers in northern Maine to get involved! (See below for a list of lakes that need counters!)
The deadline to sign up for the Annual Loon Count is July 10, so please reach out as soon as possible.
If you can’t make it on July 18, or if one day just isn’t enough for you, you can monitor loons throughout the summer.Through our Loon Pair Monitoring project, you can submit observations of breeding loon pairs over several months to help us better understand nest and chick success across Maine. Find out more here >
If talking to people and doing outreach appeals to you, and you’d like to help spread the word about loon conservation, check out our Look Out for Loons outreach program.
Lakes that need volunteer counters
Franklin County:
Spencer Pond, Township D
Crowell Pond, Chesterville/New Sharon/Vienna
Hills Pond, Perkins Township
Pease Pond, Wilton
Sand Pond, Chesterville
Staples Pond, Temple
Toothtaker Pond, Phillips
Hancock County:
Long Pond, Bucksport
Abrams Pond, Eastbrook/Franklin
Tunk Lake, Sullivan/T7 SD/T10 SD
Donnell Pond, Franklin/T9 SD
Duck Lake, T4 ND
Duck Pond, Franklin
Forbes Pond, Gouldsboro
Fourth Pond, Blue Hill
Little Hatcase Pond, Dedham
Little Tunk Pond, Sullivan
Long Pond, Sullivan
Lower West Bay Pond, Gouldsboro
Morancy Pond, Sullivan/T7 SD
Narraguagus Lake, T9 SD/T10 SD/T16 MD
Rift Pond, Great Pond
West Bay Pond, Gouldsboro/T7 SD
Lincoln County:
Sherman Lake, Edgecomb
Oxford County:
Papoose Pond, Waterford
Umbagog Lake, Magalloway Plantation/Upton
Penobscot County:
Holland Pond, Alton
Round (Grey) Pond, Plymouth
Somerset County:
Sandy Pond, Embden
