Spring Photo a Day - #33

It's been fun to watch the loons on the lake since the ice went off.  It always amazes me how quickly they show up as soon as the lake wakes up from it's icy grip.  Ice out, loons in.

I think it is required for all Minnesotans to love loons. They are our state bird after all.  I haven't met very many people that don't love to watch them and listen to their call.

We have a pair on our lake every year, it seems.  Some years they have chicks, some years they don't.  Some years the chicks don't survive.  I really hope we get chicks this year, it is fun to watch them grow from little fuzz balls to young adults over the summer.

This evening I looked out the patio door towards the lake and saw these two just floating around.  I grabbed the camera and laid down on a section of my dock on shore that is waiting to get put in.  I called to them a bit and they actually swam closer to see what I was up to.  I was tempted to hop in the canoe to see if they would let me get out and see them a little closer, but I decided to save that for another day.

Hopefully these two have a great summer on our lake.

(click photo to view larger)

EXIF:  Canon 5D Mark II, EF 400mm f/5.6L, f/5.6, 1/160, ISO 400
Exposure Date:  April 21, 2011

**Addendum:  There are 5 loons out on the lake now....for the moment.  Looks like there's gonna be a rumble...

(click photo to view larger)