Volunteers to count loons

More than 1,000 “citizen scientist” volunteers will be out on lakes and ponds across the state 7-7:30 a.m. Saturday, July 16, to record a half-hour snapshot of Maine’s loon population for Maine Audubon’s 22nd annual loon count.

“It’s been a tough year for loons so far,” said Susan Gallo, wildlife biologist at Maine Audubon and director of the organization’s Maine Loon Project. High water on many lakes and ponds has made nesting difficult for loons, flooding out traditional lakeside nest sites. Storms have washed away nests and eggs, forcing many loon pairs to attempt second or third nests. As a result, loon chicks may be hatching late this year.

The annual loon count, launched in 1983 by Maine Audubon and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is timed so that in a typical year most young loons will have recently hatched.

“Loon chick mortality from predators, lack of food, disturbance or stress is so high in those first few weeks that we want to find and count the chicks right away before they disappear,” said Gallo. “But this is certainly not a typical year weather-wise, so our citizen scientists may find fewer chicks than usual.” On average, loons produce one chick every other year, and Maine’s productivity may be even lower.

The number of Maine Audubon citizen scientists who count loons has grown each year from a few hundred in 1983 to nearly 1,000 in 2004.

“Maine’s loons are fortunate to have a large group of volunteers dedicated to their well-being,” said Gallo. “This monitoring project simply couldn’t happen without them.” Many volunteers not only count loons each year but also lobby legislators to protect loon habitat and lake water quality.

On count day, each volunteer is assigned a lake or a portion of a lake to count loons and chicks from shore or a boat. After volunteers mark the time and location of each loon sighting on a map of their lake, regional coordinators tally the number of loons on each lake and report the figures to Maine Audubon for analysis.

At 4,300 adults, Maine’s loon population is the largest in New England. However, Maine’s loons suffer from extremely low productivity compared to neighboring states. Shoreline development, high levels of mercury and other toxins, lead sinkers and boats all pose problems to breeding loons and their chicks.

Not only did last year’s loon count show a plateau in the adult population, it also revealed a decline in the population of Maine’s loon chicks for the second year in a row. Gallo noted, however, that historically loon chick numbers rebound after two or three years of decline.

Maine Audubon is no longer accepting volunteers for this year, but those who would like to participate in the 2006 loon count may call Susan Gallo at 781-2330, ext. 216.