The loon’s giddy cry is as much a symbol of the brief Maine summer as black flies or lobster bakes.

But as glossy black loons make their way north to nest along thousands of Maine lakes and ponds this spring, Maine Audubon is worried about what the birds might find.

Dozens of Maine water birds have been poisoned as a result of outdated fishing methods, Ali Chaney of Maine Audubon said.

Last year, Audubon successfully petitioned the Legislature to ban lead sinkers, traditionally used by fishermen to weight their lines.

Loons and other waterfowl ingest the sinkers, confusing them with the small stones that they swallow to help digest their food.

Lead sinkers then become lodged in the bird’s throats and slowly cause the animal to die from lead poisoning.

“Once they ingest the lead, it’s over,” Chaney said. “It’s basically a death sentence.”

Loons suffering the effects of lead are weakened and become more vulnerable to predators. The healthy chicks of a poisoned bird also fall victim to the lead, because an ill bird cannot properly care for its young, Chaney said.

As of Jan. 1, 2002, lead sinkers are not available in Maine stores, but hundreds of anglers who share the waters with loons may have sinkers left over from previous seasons or have purchased equipment in other states.

Audubon is asking for fishermen’s cooperation in protecting loons. Anglers should discard old lead sinkers and invest in new steel or ceramic alternatives, which sell for pennies more, but are not harmful to waterfowl, Chaney said.

More than 60,000 “Get the Lead Out” brochures have been distributed to Maine communities to be handed out with 2002 fishing licenses. The information campaign is being funded with revenue from the loon license plate.

For more information, contact Maine Audubon at 781-2330.

Loon Appreciation Week

May 5 through 11 has been set aside to celebrate the loons’ annual return to their nesting grounds on northern lakes, a harbinger of spring for many Maine residents.

LoonWatch, a Wisconsin conservation group, sponsored the nation’s first Loon Appreciation Week in 1999.

The celebration is designed to raise awareness of how human activities, from lead sinkers to shore development, can impact the loon.

Loon Legends, a commemorative poster of a watercolor painting by Native American artist Lisa Fifield of Minnesota, is being sold to raise funds for loon preservation. The poster also includes information about five different loon species and the historical connection between loons and humans.

For more information, contact LoonWatch at Northland College in Ashland, Wis., at 715-682-1220 or LoonWatch@northland.edu.

Coastal Sportsman’s Forum

Concerned with fisheries and wildlife management? Hancock County hunters and anglers can question state regulators at a public forum scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Connors Emerson School in Bar Harbor.

Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Lee Perry and David Wardwell, department advisor from Penobscot, will host the forum, and department biologists and game wardens will be available to answer questions.

Updates on current fisheries and wildlife management issues are scheduled, but all topics are open to discussion.

Misty Edgecomb can be reached at 990-8250, 1-800-432-7964, or by e-mail at medgecomb@bangordailynews.net.