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Three days old and cruising with style
This pair was captured in early June. The chick was three days old. I was able to watch from a safe distance, when the two chicks hatched, and it was fun to watch them venture out into the bigger world! I am very respectful of their 'space', but this pair has become very accustomed to my friend and myself. Gene puts out the nesting platform each spring. He was a bit late this year, and the adults followed along with him as he pulled the platform out with his kayak.
This is not typical loon behavior, but because we spend so much time quietly floating around with them, they think we are just some big, ungainly , slow moving sea creatures, not threatening.
In the past, when Gene had spent more time with them, they would allow him to come close, but not me. Now they seem happy with either of us, but only in our kayaks, and not in my usual loon boat. At another lake I go to, the loons are used to me, and will often swim by the boat within a few feet, but Gene can't get near them, since he hasn't been to that lake much.
D500 500mm AFS f/7.1 ISO 200 1/320s
Shot from my kayak. I was really pushing things with this slow shutter speed in a kayak, but wanted to get the highest quality I could (low ISO)
Moderate crop for comp, slightly darkened both pupils.
Advice and comments appreciated,
Cheers
Randy