Gavia Immer, A Little Loony

Day 1183: Common Loon (Gavia immer) is a study in high contrast. The sharp blacks and whites of his plumage would seem to make him obvious, but against grey sky reflected in shimmering, wind-rippled water, his camouflage is almost perfect. These diving birds can stay under water longer than you or I could hold our breath comfortably, a skill Mr. Loon employs when he's hunting a trout breakfast. He is also a powerful underwater swimmer and can travel farther than an observer might expect before surfacing from a dive. It is the Loon's voice, however, which has made the bird famous. As Roger Tory Peterson describes it, it is "a long falsetto wail, weird yodeling, maniacal laughter; at night, a ringing ha-oo-oo." Seen here on Mineral Lake, Mr. Loon was competing with the local Otters for his meals.