Loons are back
 

I saw my first loons of the season this morning. 2 pairs swimming in the open water near my dock. Not sure if they were frolicking or battling for territory. Didn't have my telephoto lens, they flew away when they saw me trying to get a closer picture. They still had a large portion of their winter plumage.

Yea, that is exciting news! The loons know!

I just missed...
 

I was up early and down at Lake Shore Park to take some sunrise pics. While I was setting up.. 3 loons just came cruising by. I was all set up with a long lens and didn't have time to change out the lens. Got a few pictures but mostly very blurry.

Looks like 2 females and a male.. As ITD commented, they still have their winter coloring.

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I hate to rain on your parade but . . .
 

Looking at Steve A's pictures, the birds are not loons but mergansers. The top image shows the male merganser's typical plumage (easily mistaken for a loon but it has no "necklace" and the lower portion of the body has too much white). In the second picture, the bird on the left has the pointy feathers on the back of the head, typical of the female merganser. The middle bird is the male (note the large amount of white at the waterline).

I think it is still early for loons. We have a regular that shows up year after year. He returns around the time of a normal "ice-out" with his lady returning a week or two later. The male is checking out his territory before the lady returns for the breeding season. The males don't hang out in groups in the spring like they do in the fall. They are quite solitary at this time of year.

I'm no expert so I could be wrong. I'm still looking for "our" regular loon.

Could it ... ?
 

... have been a common merganser?

http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/416...Merganser.aspx

You beat me to the punch by 10 minutes you rascal you QL.

Actually, I was just checking out the pictures I took, didn't have my telephoto lens so the quality isn't very good, but they may have been Mergansers, I did think their bodies looked small for loons, they were diving. Oh well, maybe still a few weeks away....

I guess I may be the "regular loon" today ... :laugh::laugh:

Thanks all for the correction, and the education. That's what I get for getting out of bed too early everyday. :D

I think it's nap time... :yawn: Glad I spent my out of focus picture on the Merganser.

"Our" regular loon is back!!!
 

I looked out over the lake this morning and saw my first loon of the season. He was about 150 feet from shore and just drifting around. So now spring is really here.:D

Our loon pair is back in Green's Basin!!!!!

Loonies!
 

My wife and I will be up to the Lake 6-13 May to open up the cabin. Can't wait to see some of the new Loon "puff balls." How Exciting!

loons
 

i saw one as i was leaving the port last week-end while i was working on a fish trap boat - he had red eyes and his summer plumage so i would say he was ready to head north at any time. they are here all winter along the south coast of ri then they go theough a molt, their summer plummage appears and bam - they are gone until next winter. of course i am lucky because when i come up i get to see them again lol