Common Loon

 

The Common Loon swims underwater to catch fish, propelling itself with its feet.

It swallows most of its prey underwater. The loon has sharp, rearward-pointing projections on the roof of its mouth and tongue that help it keep a firm hold on slippery fish.

Loons are water birds, only going ashore to mate and incubate eggs. Their legs are placed far back on their bodies, allowing efficient swimming but only awkward movement on land.

Loons are agile swimmers, but they move pretty fast in the air, too. Migrating loons have been clocked flying at speeds more than 70 mph. Cornell All About Birds

I have been photographing Loons since I started photography back in the seventies when they would swim alongside our canoe on canoe trips in Algonquin Park often with young chicks on their backs however most of those images are on slides or print film.