Common Loons in Winter

During winter months, Taylor’s Creek is home to Gavia immer, an agile diving waterbird, known in Europe as the Great Northern Diver. On this side of the Atlantic, it’s called by a less flattering name, the Common Loon. Although much of their time is spent swimming underwater, I managed to capture some photographs of loons between dives…

Once they submerge underwater with a swift dive, loons tend to emerge from the depths somewhere else entirely. It’s like playing hide-and-seek when you’re trying to get a photograph.

Using their dagger-like bills, loons impale fish underwater, and eat them while submerged.

This loon brought up some vegetation, maybe just for fun?

Their large webbed feet propel loons forward. But their legs, located far to the rear of the body, are not built to support walking on land.

Only rarely does a loon come ashore. I was truly fortunate to observe this beached loon near Gallant’s Channel…

The loon did not try to walk on its legs. Resting on the sandy beach, it waited for the tide to rise, when it could simply swim away. Loons often lift into an upright posture in the water…

After spending the day feeding in the waterway, solitary loons meet with others as the sun sets. They stick together in small groups when sleeping away from shore.

Late in March, loons begin to molt and start changing to their breeding plumage…

The transformation of plumage is dramatic. By May, the mature loons are glossy rather than dull and covered with bold checkerboard patterns in black and white…

The loon’s winter-gray eyes turn to red…

By the time June arrives, most of the wintering loons have left our local waterways. They return north to their breeding grounds in Canada, about 2,000 miles away. See you again next winter!

For more photos of wintering waterbirds, click on one of these…

• Winter Look-Alikes >>
• Double Crested Cormorant>>
• Night Stalker of the Boardwalk >>