There were a total of 15 paddlers covering the waters and shoreline of Lake Winnecook for the 27th Annual Maine Loon Count. As always, the group did a terrific job spotting loons and marking maps with time and direction of the loons' movement, covering inlets and marsh areas, watching the sky and noting other wildlife. There were a total of 12 adults counted this year, down three from last year's tally. There were no chicks or nests seen on count day, but there were two chicks sighted earlier in the week. These numbers would seem to reflect a decline in the adult and chick population this summer. It should also be noted that four birds were initially seen in flight, a somewhat unusual activity for that hour of the day.

At 8:00 AM the counters gathered at Crosstrax Deli for breakfast, count tally, and story swap. These dedicated paddlers have already volunteered for next year's count.

In addition to the loons, paddlers spotted osprey, eagles, belted kingfishers, great blue herons, cormorants, several types of ducks, Canada geese and gulls, as well as a couple of curious snapping turtles. There seems to be a decline in the number of cormorants and herons this year while increased numbers of belted kingfishers were noted.