(photo by Bob: 2007-06-11 - explore)
Nesting Loon
You need to trust me on this one, but there is a loon, incubating a single egg, along the far shore, about two thirds of the way from the rock to the first dead tree. About an hour earlier I had been cruising that shoreline, seeing what I could see. At one point I was looking down into a crude nest, actually not much more than a depression in the mud, containing a large dark olive-green egg. Considering that there was a single loon swimming around nearby, I was fairly sure what it was. But by the time I realized what I was seeing, I had already glided by. So as not to disturb the bird any more, I did not go back to take a picture. Instead, I moved off a hundred meters or so, hoping that the loon would return to the nest. But it very quickly became apparent that the loon would not return to the nest while I was around. So I left the area. I returned later and verified by binoculars that the loon was back on the nest. I probably could have approached closer, but I didn't want to chance it. I took this picture and continued on my way.
(Loons can move only awkwardly on land; they cannot take flight from land. They therefore build their nests right at the waters edge.)