A Family Trip

[ennacac]

It looks like there was only one egg and this one is an only child. They were swimming through the pads looking for fish for the young one.



Tom

[mtngal]

Another outstanding picture - parents and their child.

[Maw Harley]

Tom, is this the family from the man-made island nest???? (or was that from someone else?).

This has to be one of the best images of loons I've seen. Even in the guide books the exposures make them look like some red-eyed apparition or decoyish with cardboard cutout head and neck. Your photos have such great detail and dimension. Just my thoughts on loon photos.

Good job


Bev

[ennacac]

Yes Bev it is the loon from the man made nesting island. I checked today and there are no more eggs in the nest, so I guess there was only one. Thanks, I tried to get them in the best light I could, since they actually have a green sheen to their heads, which is very hard to pick up.

I wanted a photo of the little one riding on the moms back, but each time it tries to get up, it falls off into the water, so she carries it under her wing for now.

Tom

[NonEntity1]

Real nice shot Tom. Do the father loons generally stay with together with mother and child? I notice with the wood ducks it seems to generally either be mother and children or a male/female couple, though I think I may have seen an entire family together once or twice.

Tim

[ennacac]

Tim, the parents both took turns on the nest and now they both stay with the chick and make quite a fuss if you get too close.

The mom puts the chick under her wing when you get too close, since it is too small to ride on top and falls off each time it tries. You can see in this photo her wing up, and the chick is under for protection although you can't see it.



Tom