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Finding a Loon on a
Natural Nest
August 28,
2022 by Gene Klco
In the
spring of 2021, I was kayaking on a small wilderness lake looking for
loons. I
had spotted loons in years before on the lake, so I hoped to find some
again.
As I was paddling through some reeds that had a channel I could go
through, I
saw a couple loons ahead.
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Strangely,
they didn’t seem too bothered by my presence. I just floated and
watched them
taking photos of them. After a short while, one of them swam over to
the
opposite weed bank and climbed on a nest that I had not noticed.
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If
you look carefully, you can see an egg at the back of the loon in this
photo.
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So
I backed away and positioned myself across from the loon on the nest.
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This
is where a long lens comes in handy. I was far enough away that the
loon wasn’t
frightened. With the 400 mm lens I was able to capture one of my
favorite
photos. So much so that a print of it is on our wall in the living room.
It took a
few shots and slight repositioning of my kayak, but I like the way the
curved
reeds circled the loon’s head and the reflection in the water. After a
couple
dozen shots of the loon, I thought it best if I just slipped away and
leave it
to the business of hatching the egg.
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As
I kayaked out for the reeds and into the main water, I saw that the
second loon
was joined by a couple others. So I followed them around for awhile. Eventually the two visitors flew away and the
second of the pair swam off to be by its mate.
Overall,
I logged it as a very successful day.
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Next
Blog – More
stories and photos from past years
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