Common Loon
© Therese Scheller
Published:
October 18, 2010
A Common Loon
(Gavia immer), an iconic bird of the North Woods, swims in Leech Lake in north-central Minnesota.
Subscriber Therese Scheller of St. Paul, Minnesota, captured this wonderful shot on July 5, 2009, just as water beaded and dripped off the loon’s neck. Its mate and chick were nearby on the water.
“It was a beautiful hot summer evening, and my husband and I took a small paddleboat out to get photos of an eagle on its nest,” she tells us. “We were intercepted by a loon family, and for about 45 minutes, they allowed us to take photos of them. It was fun to watch them feed their baby and to see them swim under the boat as well.”
Therese used a Canon 50D and a 100-400mm lens.
Maps, tips, and directions for great places to see loons:
• West Fairview Boat Launch, East Pennsboro, Pennsylvania
• St. Joseph River Mouth, St. Joseph, Michigan
• Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, Barnegat Light, New Jersey
Loons in the news:
• Loons and other fall migrants face an oily winter in the Gulf
• Mercury stunts breeding of northeastern loons
• Satellites reveal loon migration for the first time
• Loon sightings answer migration questions
How to help:
Six citizen-science projects that need your help counting and monitoring loons
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