By Stan Tekiela
I find it strangely comforting that there is still many things we don’t understand in nature. I’m not sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing. And perhaps it is just the way it is, and we will never understand. We often make assumptions about the kinds of behaviors we see or witness in nature. We often incorrectly attribute a specific animal behavior based on what we humans would think or do in a given situation.
I was thinking about this the other evening while leading a group of photographers to capture images of the Common Loon (Gavia immer). Each June I offer photo tours for serious amateur and professional photographers to see and capture images of loons and their families. In particular adult loons with baby loons riding on their backs. During these photo tours I help with camera settings, lighting, angles of photography but most of all, I explain the behaviors and natural history of these amazing birds.
For example, when a male loon is swimming around its territory, taking care of its babies, sees another loon flying over its territory, he belts out a loud “yodel” call that echoes across the lake. I explain that only the males make this call. This can be one way to tell the males from the females.
It is very common for loons to go for a “fly about” early in the morning or late in the day just before sunset. One evening we were photographing a male loon with one chick. The water was calm, and the group was capturing some great images when I noticed a pair of loons flying towards us. I let the group know and we all got ready to try and capture some images of flying loons.
But when the two flying loons got close to us, they did something that I have seen many times before, but I still can’t figure it out. The two birds moved closer together, while flying, almost touching, and then started to glide with their wings held over their backs in a deep V shape.