JUNE 2006 TRIP TO NEW HAMPSHIRE

I spent three days in New Hampshire, which started at the Appalachian Mountain Club's Highland Center at Crawford Notch, then headed to the Lakes Region for Common Loons. I enjoyed my two-day stay at the Highland Center a great deal; my thanks to Rondi, Chris, and James among others for a thoroughly enjoyable visit! The rainy New England weather cleared just long enough for a nice hike up Eisenhower. More details and photos of this part of my trip coming soon!

My last day was spent in the Lakes Region on a boat photographing one of my all-time favorite creatures, the Common Loon. It was a fantastic day spent on the water. My sincerest appreciation to Harry and Joe, who provided me with a wonderful tour of the area and superb hospitality.

The 5:00am sunrise meant getting up hours earlier but was worth it - the views from the lake as the sun came up were incredible.

 

The first Common Loon of the day situated itself in sunlit waters, making for a nice silhouette image. There is nothing wrong with the bird's leg; they exhibit this waving behavior on purpose.

This loon was found in a group of three during what appeared to be a territorial dispute. The unusually high head and stretched neck is an alert posture it exhibited until the third bird departed.
 

Manmade rafts put out by agencies such as the Loon Preservation Committee have helped loons find good nesting areas away from land-based predators. This one has a guard to provide protection from airborne predators, such as these eagles (below) nesting on the same lake. While merely chicks now and not yet hunting, their parents actively hunt the area for prey.

This Common Loon was stretching its wings. Just my luck, almost every time I have observed this behavior the bird was facing the opposite direction. I was lucky this day, though!

This preening Common Loon was the last spotted during my fabulous day on New Hampshire waters.

 

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