BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 17, 2020
Peg Sudbury of Rumford and William Reid of Skowhegan, along with just a handful of other people, have participated in Maine Loon Count for each of its 37 years, and those 37 years have given them some unique insights into Maine’s iconic birds. Loons have been much more successful since locals created a floating platform for the birds to nest on. The return of bald eagles, which are known to predate loon chicks. Gulls are predators of loon eggs and chicks, but the gulls left when the landfill was capped in 1997. Since then, the average number of loon chicks on Wesserunsett Lake has more than doubled. Boaters, especially jet skis, are the new threat.