By Sally Siko

In my experience one of the most difficult birds to photograph is the Common Loon.
It’s not that they are particularly rare (their name fits lol) rather it’s the fact that they tend to swim pretty far beyond the breaking waves while hunting for a meal. Combine that with the fact that they are diving bird and you’ve got a recipe for photographic frustration lol!
Happily, I caught another lucky break this past weekend and managed to grab a few photos of one at a relatively close range.
Woohoo!

Common Loons are indeed a familiar sight swimming offshore on the Atlantic ocean making them relatively easy to find in the Carolina’s from late October through late April.
Many people would be more likely to recognize the species in their summer plumage, a white breast, dark green head, and a black-and-white checkered back.
From September to March, however, their throat is white and the rest of their body is gray.

These elegant birds are impressive swimmers and divers!
And they have to be because their ocean-based winter diet includes eels,herring, haddock, whiting, pipefish, shiner perch, sculpins, flounder, sole, and skates.
Interestingly, and unlike the majority of bird species, Common Loons have solid bones, which makes them less buoyant and more effective at maneuvering through deep water at lightning speed to capture their underwater prey.
Pretty cool huh?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5