Uncommonly Beautiful Loons

I can’t imagine going to Westport anytime other than mid-summer without checking on the Loons to see if they’re in breeding colors. On this visit I was greeted by a Common Loon that popped up as I walked down the ramp to the dock.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t in breeding colors,

FrstThng

though it didn’t take long to sight several in breeding colors

Lngng

out in the harbor. Unfortunately, they were at a considerable distance.

I was out at the end of the jetty when this one popped up right beneath me,

PtrnOnBk

or, more precisely, a hundred feet or so below me. Still, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a better shot to show the pattern on the Loon’s back.

After shooting the shorebird migration at Bottle Beach, I decided to go to Tokeland to see if there were any Godwits there. It appears that all the recent construction at Tokeland has driven off the Godwits.

As a small consolation, a Common Loon appeared right of the dock,

Finale

which seemed like a fitting way to end a long day birding at the coast.