Weekend Loon

We had an unusual appearance in the salt marsh this past weekend when a red throated loon cruised in for a brief visit.

This is not a bird we often see so it was a nice treat. The loon floated back and forth in the salt marsh during mid tide while most of the wading birds were sitting in trees or feeding elsewhere.

The loon didn’t seem to be especially timid or concerned about a person pointing something at him, and he got quite close at one point.

Anyway, at least it was something different then our usual sightings of Radar. Not that there is anything wrong with that, and later this week I will be posting photos from today of our egret pal with his new friend. 🙂

39 thoughts on “Weekend Loon”

Patrizia M. on January 19, 2015 at 6:05 pm said:

E’ bellissima, non ne avevo mai viste. Grazie per queste splendide foto caro Phil.
Un grande saluto, Patrizia

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Wade on January 19, 2015 at 7:05 pm said:

What a wonderful treat. Very nicely captured, as always!

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:12 am said:
  
  It was a treat! Thanks for looking!
  
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Raewyn's Photos on January 19, 2015 at 7:09 pm said:

Great photos. I love the reflections. 😀

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:12 am said:
  
  I’m happy you liked these loon photos thank you. 🙂
  
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Leslie N. on January 19, 2015 at 7:51 pm said:

Stunningly beautiful photos! We are so fortunate to have someone like you available to capture and share these photos with the rest of us! Thank you!

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:13 am said:
  
  Well I greatly appreciate the kind words thanks so much!
  
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Pat on January 19, 2015 at 8:26 pm said:

Such a beauty! I love watching them dive. They stay underwater for such a long time.

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:14 am said:
  
  They are pretty birds but oddly I never saw this one dive. It just floated around and hopped up to shake off. 🙂
  
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Amy on January 19, 2015 at 9:05 pm said:

Beautiful! Amazing clarity!

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:15 am said:
  
  Thanks so much Amy I appreciate it greatly!
  
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Andrew on January 19, 2015 at 9:30 pm said:

Such a beautiful bird, Phil. I love the one with him craned out of the water.

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:16 am said:
  
  It is a pretty bird for sure Andrew. I liked when he did that too and glad he did it twice because I missed it the first time.
  
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Garden Walk Garden Talk on January 19, 2015 at 10:17 pm said:

Very excellent photos Phil. The loon is a neat bird how it holds its head tight to the body.

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:20 am said:
  
  Thanks very much and you are right, they do keep that head and neck down tight to the body. Cool birds!
  
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Unconfirmed Bachelorette on January 19, 2015 at 10:47 pm said:

Gorgeous! I’ve never seen one so close.

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:22 am said:
  
  I was more than a little surprised how close in this guy came but I’m happy about it. 🙂
  
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Rolling Harbour on January 20, 2015 at 5:23 am said:

Fantastic pics! In UK we call them Divers rather than Loons – I wonder how ‘loon’ came about?! RH

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:23 am said:
  
  I have heard the Diver name but don’t think I realized it was the same bird as our loon. Not sure how the name came about, I’ll have to look into that.
  
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Robyn Graham Photography on January 20, 2015 at 8:11 am said:

Superb reflection in the first image, Phil…and such great expressions that you captured! Always enjoy your work!

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:27 am said:
  
  I greatly appreciate the kind comments and glad you liked seeing the loon!
  
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visualriver on January 20, 2015 at 8:23 am said:

Stunning light, beautiful photograph.

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:27 am said:
  
  Thanks a bunch, glad you enjoyed seeing the loon.
  
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Linda on January 20, 2015 at 9:49 am said:

Beautiful photo, and such a beautiful Loon, never knew what they looked like, great images.

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:28 am said:
  
  They are pretty birds and this one was quite accommodating. Thanks Linda!
  
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dinajohnston on January 20, 2015 at 1:19 pm said:

Beautiful shots! I love the reflections. It looks like you were so close (although I’m sure you have good zoom on your lens). We get them here in central Florida but it’s not common and they are hard to find.

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:30 am said:
  
  Thanks very much glad you liked seeing the loon! I only shoot with a 300 f4 with a 1.4 extender so I helps when they come in close. We don’t see them very often but it’s always in the salt marsh or along the ocean.
  
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foxleylady on January 20, 2015 at 1:41 pm said:

What stunning shots of a beautiful bird (I love that face!)! I’ve been ill for the last week and these are such lovely photos to come back to! I’ve missed you!

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:34 am said:
  
  He is a pretty bird and we were thrilled to get this surprise visit. Hope you are feeling better now and always appreciate your interest and support Maggie!
  
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Judy on January 20, 2015 at 3:10 pm said:

You hear about the haunting calls of a loon, but I really just realized I didn’t know what a loon looked like. Thanks for he view of your rare visitor….lovely images and great expression on the bird.

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:36 am said:
  
  Thanks so much Judy! I kept waiting for this guy to make that call, you never forget it once you hear it. But this loon stayed silent. Cool to see though.
  
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Cowboys and Crossbones on January 20, 2015 at 6:31 pm said:

Gorgeous pics! I don’t know if I’ve ever even seen a red throated loon, so thanks once again for broadening my horizons!

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- Phil Lanoue on January 21, 2015 at 12:37 am said:
  
  Well I’m happy you liked seeing our loony visiter! Thanks a bunch.
  
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Scott Marshall on January 21, 2015 at 7:57 pm said:

Absolutely love the Loon Phil i remember sitting in a lake with a 50mm wet film camera trying to creep up on one – needless to say it didnt happen 😄 gorgeous shot great pose

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- Phil Lanoue on January 25, 2015 at 5:03 pm said:
  
  I was surprised to see this guy show up but was happy he did. Also happy he provided some nice looks before drifting off deeper into the salt marsh.
  
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Lyle Krahn on January 22, 2015 at 2:49 am said:

Fantastic shots. It’s interesting you’ve captured a kind of loon I’ve never seen before.

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- Phil Lanoue on January 25, 2015 at 5:04 pm said:
  
  I’ve seen the common loon on several occasions and oddly always around this same area. But this could have been a first for this variety. It is nice to see something a bit different.
  
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The Lite Rider on January 22, 2015 at 5:13 pm said:

If a bird can have a smile , he sure does. What a cutie. His eyes are smiling, too!

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- Phil Lanoue on January 25, 2015 at 5:05 pm said:
  
  He is cute and you are right, he does have a happy/smiley little face! 🙂
  
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