Red-Throated Loon with Winter Plumage

We found a new area to explore close to our new home. It is a nature preserve in Middlesex County, NJ. It is over 1000 acres with diverse open spaces including mature beech woods, wetlands, meadows and shoreline of Lake McCormack (the lake is over 50 acres). The area has a wide variety of plant and animal life including native and migrant songbirds, waterfowl, Bald Eagles, foxes and beavers. It has many trails to explore and lots of subjects for photo opportunities.

On our first visit we had a good time starting to discover areas for photography and the general layout of the preserve. On our first visit we spotted this Red-throated Loon. It was in Winter Plumage and was not to close, out on the lake. We went back the next day and I took a longer lens with me hoping to find the loon again. We spotted it going down one channel on the far side so we worked our way over where we thought it would return on the far side working along the shoreline.

We got there before it made the turn around and were waiting for the Loon to get closer.