MAINE PUBLIC • July 18, 2023
For the purposes of Maine Audubon's annual loon count, the sound of the loon isn't enough. You have to actually see one. For 40 years, the count has provided important data about the health of the bird population. It's an ambitious undertaking that happens early in the morning on the third Saturday in July. Hundreds of volunteers fan out across lakes and ponds in canoes, kayaks and motorboats to search for a much loved symbol of Maine: the common loon. And this year, the numbers could be affected by heavy rain and high water.