The Common Loon is a diver and amazingly adept at catching its prey underwater, diving as deep as 200 feet. Freshwater diets consist o pike, perch, sunfish, trout, and bass. Their salt-water diets consist of rock fish, flounder, sea trout, and herring. Back in my flyfishing days, there was one lake I particularly loved: Blue Lake about 30 miles north of Merritt, British Columbia. The lake was truly pristine, as clear as glass. I have many wonderful "fish" stories from Blue Lake, several of which involve Loons. I was often the only human on the lake. My first each each day was always an offering to the Loons. At first, it wasn't by choice. As soon as my reel started "zinging" from hooking a (usually 3 pound) trout, a Loon would be next to me. The Loon would then dive and I would watch as the loon chased the trout that I had hooked. On many occasions I saw the Loon actually catch the trout and remove him from my fly. I remember once, having a Loon caught on my fly. The Loon was "hooked" for ten minutes; and there was little I could do about it. He would dive and take my line out a couple hundred feet, then pop up and the water's surface and shake his head. Then he would dive again. TEN MINUTES! Finally, he broke loose, and I could continue fishing. I was fishing with a friend that time who couldn't stop laughing.
Loons need a long distance to gain momentum for take-off, and are ungainly on landing. Its clumsiness on land is due to the legs being positioned at the rear of the body: this is ideal for diving but not well-suited for walking. When the birds land on water, they skim along on their bellies to slow down, rather than on their feet, as these are set too far back. I remember another time on Plateau Lake (again in British Columbia), a long narrow lake, where two loons "motored" on the water surface from one end of the lake and back. It was like a hydroplane race. Amazing to watch. The loon swims gracefully on the surface, dives as well as any flying bird, and flies competently for hundreds of kilometers in migration. It flies with its neck outstretched, usually calling a particular tremolo that can be used to identify a flying loon. Its call has been alternately called "haunting," "beautiful," "thrilling," "mystical" and "enchanting."
Loons usually nest on islands or weed-beds where ground-based predators cannot normally access them. Adults are not normally preyed upon, with the exception of an occasional sea otter or eagle.
Common Loon
photo taken at Blue Lake, British Columbia
Common Loon
photo taken at Island Lake, British Columbia
Common Loon
photo at Island Lake, British Columbia
Common Loon
photo taken at Pass Lake, Washington
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