On the afternoon of March 4, 2024, my wife went waking with a friend while I settled down for a nap to make up for a sleep deficit caused by our cat at 2am. I was just dropping off to sleep when my wife called and said there was a loon at our local marina. I didn’t have much hope of getting really good photos but grabbed my camera and headed down to the marina. 

When I arrived I immediately saw a Common loon in winter plumage and it was somewhat closer to the nearest dock than I had expected. I sat in the car for a couple of minutes to try to determine in which direction the loon was headed. It appeared like it could be headed to the dock below me, so I quickly headed down to the dock. The loon had dived so I used the opportunity to scurry down and stand beside a large pole in an attempt to disguise my outline/presence. I was looking around for the loon when it surfaced behind and very near me with its back turned, giving me the opportunity to quickly adjust my aim and camera settings without startling it. 

I was able to take several photos before the loon dove again, and I correctly guessed where it might resurface, giving me another opportunity for closeup photos. It dove again and this time surfaced on the other side of the dock much farther away and in a larger body of water. I realized at that point that my time with the loon was over. 

So this first photo was actually one of my last, but it matched my expectation of what I expected to obtain upon my arrival at the marina. 

These are some of the photos that I never expected to get!