Loon Takeoff

This is a Common Loon taking off from a pond in Maine.  As noted in yesterday's blip of loons feeding a chick, loons are large and heavy birds that need plenty of space in order to take off from the water.  This is definitely worth viewing large.

I took 28  continuous shots of this sequence, over about 3 seconds (this one is roughly in the middle). On them I can count 41 splashes; there were at least a few before my first image.  Each splash is a stride, so this loon took at least 45 strides before becoming airborne. (Sometimes they do the same thing without launching, to cover distance faster than they can diving under water.)  

An ornithologist friend commented that this process is the reverse of skipping a stone (he mentions the game of "ducks and drakes"). The stone ends by going into the water, the bird is eventually leaving the water.

A bit of historical trivia:  The 1981 film  On Golden Pond took place on Squam Lake (ca. 60 miles west in New Hampshire); a loon played a bit part, along with Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn.  The loon model used in the movie is displayed at The Loon Center on Squam Lake--their web site has lots of information on loons.