Lunching With Loons..

A red letter day! Up close with our family of loons! 

I took my lunch down to the dock today and voila! The loon family was cruising around the back bay. In hopes that they would venture close to the dock...I ran back up to the cottage to grab my camera...

It took almost an hour before I got back to actually eating that lunch! They did come closer...and I was totally enthralled with watching them!  It was lunch time for them too. 

While the two youngsters floated about, sometimes with their heads in the water taking a look below, Mom and Dad were swimming around and diving down for treats to feed them. (extras) It was interesting to see that the young ones did not dive...perhaps they have not yet learned that skill? Until they do, I assume that they will be really dependent on their parents...

Although I have a long zoom range on my new camera, it doesn't mean that what I shoot will be in focus..and that is a constant albatross around my neck! I was really disappointed that my many photos of a parent actually feeding a youngster, were not worthy of being posted..Drat! But, even if I wasn't able to record it very well, I SAW it..and I feel privileged to have had that opportunity... 

As if one amazing phot-op wasn't enough for one day, the Merganser family also dropped by and I am still enamoured of them - those 14 fuzzy little fellows are just SO adorable!   (extras) 

Wow.. a day to remember...