About 10 days ago two Common Loon eggs hatched. I had taken few pictures of the adults when they had returned to the lake and also after the eggs were laid but never had taken pictures of Common Loon chicks. I was given a heads up by a friend about the little ones, or should I say a challenge to get the pictures of the chicks. As a proud Parks Canada's employee I took that challenge, okay I like taking pictures of birds and taking pictures of Loon's chicks would be fun. The first few days, I had no problem with the adults bringing the chicks near me but had very low light with heavy clouds and the on and off rain.
Then one morning I got out there on a mostly sunny day, but the family was some 70 meters from me, two chicks on top of an adult and one adult on its own. I sat down and waited, taking in the beautiful morning.Then an hour later they started to move around, the chicks came off the parent's back, all slowly moving toward me as the parents fed the chicks. They were fed insects and small fishes found in the water. I kept taking pictures after pictures, thinking they were not going to get any closer, but they did. At one time the parents left the chicks about 10 meters from me as they went to the middle of the lake. It was a great morning. Sadly three days after I took the attached picture, one of the chick went missing, perhaps taken by bird looking for a snack. Life is tough in the wild, one day you're eating and another day you're being eaten.
Until next moment,
Amar