Fall Gathering of the Loons

I kept forgetting to post this picture, so the timing is a little off, but I wanted to share it with you anyway. Each fall it is a must for me to get out in a boat and see the loons as they are gathering before leaving for the winter. It is really quite a site. The water looks black with them from a distance, and as you come closer, they are not all that alarmed - just gracefully swim away. To sit quietly in the boat amongst these beautiful birds is really something. Groups of loons in the fall can number in the hundreds. Then one day you wake up, and they are gone - no more loons calling in the evening until next spring. This generally happens mid September - totally depends on the weather - sometimes earlier. Wish my photography was better, but this may give you an idea.