POLAND — Saturday was Maine Audubon’s 34th annual Loon Count, with over 850 volunteers counting loons in different lakes across the state.

Susan Gallo, director of the Maine Loon Project, said the annual count helps build public awareness about the important roles the iconic birds play in Maine.

“The data yield has also built critical support for laws that keep our lakes and loons healthy, including regulations around lead free tackle, shoreline development, and invasive plants,” Gallo said. 

Lynne Richard and her husband, Steve, have been loon counting on Middle Range Pond for four years as part of the Maine Loon Project. 

They counted five loons this year, which she said is good for their little pond.

Loon-counting always happens the second Saturday of July from 7 to 7:30 a.m. to get a good snapshot of the loon population. Richard said counting them at the same time in their breeding season is a good way to get accurate and valid data. 

“We actually came to Maine because we love loons,” she said. “As well as the people and the way of life.”

She fondly referred to herself as a “loonatic.”

Richard said they’ve always been involved in citizen science, whether monitoring lobsters in the bay or counting loons.

Counting loons ins’t just about seeing how many are on the lake, but about knowing if the water is clean. Loons need to have clean water for their food sources. They eat things like snails, small fish and mussels.

“The water needs to be clean enough to support a diverse population of plants and animals,” she said. 

Richard said that the overall number of loons is dropping a little, but it is nothing to get too concerned about just yet.  

“It’s just a little blip,” Richard said. “We’ve had blips before.”

Volunteers counted 2,848 adults and 384 chicks in last year’s count. 

Richard said that because there are more than 6,000 lakes in Maine, they all can’t be monitored, especially up north. 

She said the number they have in this area is a sample, but most lakes have good counters. 

Richard said she loves loons because they’re really charismatic and beautiful.

“They call all night to each other,” she said. “It’s a beautiful call.”

She said she finds them endearing, how they raise their chicks all summer and the families stay together.

“I’ve studied and loved them for many years,” she said.

Richard said the first time her and Steve came to Maine they went to Moosehead Lake, which has a lot of loons.

“He also proposed there, which might have something to do it,” she said.