Common Loon: York County, Maine, USA, November 2023 — Another common winter bird at river mouths in southern Maine. The blocky head and basic black and white plumage, along with the battle cruiser vibe, make the Common Loon pretty unmistakable. They hunt the little crabs of our tidal rivers. They don’t stay on the surface long and remain submerged for up to 30 seconds, and they can come up pretty far from where they dived, so they can be frustrating to photograph. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Red-throated Loon: York county, Maine, USA, November 2023 — The Red-throated Loons are in along the coast and up our tidal rivers. We don’t ever see their red-throats here in Maine as they loose their breeding plumage before they head south from their tundra and taiga lakes and far north coastal breeding grounds. The population along the Maine coast seems to vary year to year. At least some years I tend to see a lot of them, and some years hardly any at all. It could be a matter of where they are feeding, or it could just be a matter of where and when I am looking. This year I have already seen quite a few at the mouths of the rivers. If a Common Loon is a big double decker passenger jet, the Red-throated Loon is a small compact commuter jet…and, indeed, the Red-throated is distinguished among loons for its “short runway” on takeoff…which allows it to nest and feed on much smaller ponds than the Common Loon. OM-Systems OM1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.