On Friday afternoon (2/28/2014) the wind was blowing but it was a bright, sunny afternoon and I hated to waste it.  It was a very good thing I didn’t because I had a rather unique birding/photography experience.

I began my excursion by stopping by the Cap Sante Marina where I spied a Common loon lurking rather close to the northwest shore of the marina.  I stopped, gathered my camera equipment and by the time I got over to the water the loon had disappeared.  Since they often spend a considerable time diving I wasn’t surprised, but as I gazed across some grass on the shore the sunlight glinted off of something where there shouldn’t have been anything reflective.  Further investigation lead me to the loon… at this point about three feet onto the shore!  This is the first time I have ever seen a loon out of water!

I wasted no time in taking many photographs and, while the loon seemed interested in me, it definitely wasn’t afraid at this point.  I finally left it on the shore and went on my way, hoping that it wasn’t sick or injured.

I next birded March Point, practicing my “skeet shooting” on the gulls that were enjoying the wind.  I probably took 30-40 photographs of gulls in flight, discarding many because the bright sun cast shadows on various parts of the gulls anatomy… but I still retained almost 20 photographs after processing.  And I have to say, I’m getting pretty good at photographing birds in flight!

After finding little else to photograph on March Point other than a pair of Dark-eyed juncos (Oregon race) I headed back home… via the Cap Sante Marina.  As I drove by the southeast side of the marina I spotted a Common loon, and again went stalking with my camera equipment.  There is no doubt in my mind that this was the same loon… it allowed me to approach to within about 20′ of it and never took any evasive action.  During the course of about half an hour it dove and preened virtually beside me.  I was encouraged that this was the same loon and that it was healthy as I saw it diving and twice bringing food back to the surface.

As a veteran of loon-stalking in the marina over the years, I can say that this was indeed atypical behavior from what I have observed in the past!