A late evening, loony boat ride...

Not us, mind you, we were quite still and quiet as we approached the loons in our small boat. Though it did get a little humorous as we made numerous attempts to get close to the bird for a decent image... We would approach slowly, watch the direction of its dive and try to predict where it would come up. Occasionally, we got close and it allowed us to float nearby for a few shots. But mostly we searched, and searched and searched only to realized that the bird had popped up behind us... We think it spent a good deal of time laughing at the foolish couple in the boat...

Loonier.

Loons, like ducks, geese, cormorants and grebes, are waterbirds, but they are classified separately by scientists. Their closest living relatives are penguins and a group of birds called the “tube-nosed swimmers” (including albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters). They are much larger than ducks and are built for speed underwater. It was a first for me to get so close and have a camera ready. I had never realized that they had a pattern on their heads; at a distance, their heads appear black. I uploaded 6 shots to a Flickr set showing some other views (including the head plumage) here.

Also my favorite bee shot of the day... or week... :))