After two days of watching the Pacific Loon and waiting for good photo ops,
I would say that it's preference is to be inside the docks just to the east
of the pier. Movements out of there could be attributed to people walking on
the docks. There was someone (not a birder or photographer) there yesterday
morning, after which the loon relocated to the vicinity of Florence Ave. It
was back inside the docks when I arrived around 10:30 today. It then shifted
to the outside of the docks - on the east side - where it could be seen at a
distance from Bayview Ave. After a while, it went back inside. At this
point, I figured I might as well go there and ask for permission to go into
the dock area. This is not the yacht club, but the boat yard on its east
side. The workers there have been amenable to letting people go out there,
but is that going to hold up if 20 people were there at once? As it was, I
ended up as one of about 5 people at the dock entrance. And then the loon
moved out. We could have been the cause. Or it could have been the Common
Loon passing by on the outside that got the Pacific's attention. The two
swam together briefly, heading past the pier and westward. The Pacific
ultimately swam as far west as the pier near the western end of the bay. I
staked it out from the boat launch inside the park, figuring it would head
back eastward. It did, but somehow unseen. I eventually went back to the
pier, and lo and behold - there it was. Piecing things together, it had
indeed gone back into its preferred dock area. But a few people went down
into the docks and the loon swam out and toward the pier - where yours truly
finally cashed in.  So that's the situation, if you're still going to try to
see the loon or photograph it.

 

I posted a picture at my web site http://stevewalternature.com/ , for those
that might be interested, Heck, go look at it anyway. I worked hard for it.
Although, I must say that there was never better winter weather for waiting
out a bird. So nice that I was moved to try bating for moths in Alley Pond
Park tonight. That produced about 20 individuals of 5 species. First time
I've ever photographed Pacific Loon and moths on the same day.

 

 

Steve Walter

Bayside, NY


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