Friday, October 16, 2009

Loon Fake Out

 


Megan, Weston, and I have had a wonderful time visiting Little Pond this week in Otisfield Maine. One bird that I'd always wanted to see swimming on the water here is a loon. I haven't yet seen one, but when we first arrived last Saturday, this cormorant got my heart beating quickly. It was far across the water, and without binoculars, its silhouette was mighty loon-like. A quick look through the resident Nikon bins and my excitement level dropped as soon as I saw the hooked bill of a cormorant.

Still- I hadn't seen cormorants in the past four years of exploring nature here, so it was interesting to watch them this week. A pair flies in very early in the morning and begins to fish, diving down and surfacing after 30 seconds or so. One afternoon, as we were about to leave for a hike, I looked down to the dock and saw this bird basking in the sun. A slow stalk with the camera ensued, and I was able to come within about 30 feet without it ever really caring that I was there.

Tom
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4 comments:

  1. Tom: That is funny, we can see them around here. I would have thought it was a guarantee to see a Loon in Maine. I watched 'On Golden Pond'.

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  2. Looks like this bird is ready for a nap! Regarding fishing guy's comment, it just wouldn't be the same if the line were "The Cormorants, Norman, the Cormorants..."

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  3. Funny guys, I'll admit, I haven't seen "On Golden Pond", looks like I need to put it in my queue at the library.

    Tom

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  4. Aah, I'm glad to know that others get faked out by the cormorants too. Sneaky guys!

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