Loon Chick at 35 days old (5 weeks)

This photo allows you to compare its size of the chick to an adult.

Wow, what a wonderful morning photographing the loons on Caesar Pond! The loons spent a lot of time in the middle of the pond directly opposite from our dock at about 600' away. This afforded me much better photos.

The poor chick looks so ragged as it is developing juvenile contour and primary feathers.

You can see so many bald patches on its wings!

When the chick finished a preening session, it flapped it wings. You can really see the new primary feathers and their patterning, as well as all the down in patches.

Here you can see the underside of a wing. In another week or so, the juvenile plumage will fill in the bald spots!

Finally, one of my favorite photos from today...