BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 20, 2024
The No. 1 killer of Maine’s most iconic summer bird is boat strikes for the first time ever, pushing lead fishing tackle down to No. 2. Waves from the wakes of boats, which are more numerous than ever on lakes and ponds, can flood out nests, and development and the effects of climate change continue to pose challenges. But in spite of the human-made dangers they navigate, the state’s common loon population has nearly doubled in the last 40 years in southern Maine, said Hannah Young, the Maine Audubon Society’s loon count coordinator.