Loon Survey #3

Here is the path that I take to "sneak up" on the loon nest. When I finally get to my location, I wedge the boat into the shoreline so the wind doesn't blow the boat too much. I was about 200 feet away from the nest. 

Did you know that Common Loons have red eyes in summer and gray eyes in winter?  What!!!

Today, I used the 400mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter. I did find it difficult to hand-hold as steadily as I had wished. So, any videos that I took were very wobbly. But, at least I was able to hold it steady enough for some nice photos. I love the morning light on the bird nesting area. (Click on any photo for a more detailed view.)

 I observed the loon for about 45 minutes. She would often raise her nictitating membranes on her eyes to presumably protect them from the brilliant rays of the sun and particles in the air. I was hoping to see her rotating the eggs as I do not know if she laid 1 or 2 eggs in the nest, but I was not able to observe this today.

She ignored me until I turned the boat around to leave and then she looked straight at me.

Now that my boat was on the move, she flattened herself down over the nest to minimize her profile so that I could not see her. Note: I did not see the male out fishing today.