On the last Sunday of September I arrived at my favorite pond well before sunrise. Sadly, it was my first visit in several years. There would be no glorious sunrise this morning — the area was covered with fog, and it was still quite dark. I unloaded my kayak and waited for it to get lighter.
Two men arrived in a truck, backed up to the pond, unloaded a canoe, parked their truck, and in less than 5 minutes were paddling off into the gloom. It did not take long for them to disappear in the fog.
By 6:25 AM it was getting somewhat lighter so I took a photo along shore and then launched my kayak 10 minutes later.
A short distance from the launch site it was still quite foggy. But 4 minutes later the scene was to change dramatically.
The fog was rising and being lit by the rising sun. The pond was mirror-like, only disturbed by my wake. Such beauty and solitude.
After lifting to produce the views above, the fog settled back down as the sun rose.
I paddled to the far shore to move the sun lower and photograph it shining through trees. I had been on the water for less than an hour and already had seen a variety of fog effects.
I headed into the hidden entrance to the far back cove. Maneuvering past some fallen trees and branches I saw the narrow opening to the cove ahead in the notch between the trees shown below.
I know from past photo adventures that there are quite a few loons on this pond. However, I did not come this day to photograph loons and I did not expect to see any in this somewhat-hidden cove. But a parent and chick greeted me there and quickly convinced me that I should be taking their photos. Here is the chick.
Although at this age loons are perfectly capable of feeding themselves, they prefer to be fed by the adult whenever possible. They beg for food by rubbing the neck of their parent.
The parent swam a bit away …
… and the chick swam directly at me creating a bow wake of bubbles.
Reunited again, the parent had a good shake.
The parent worked its way out of the back cove through the broad passage. I followed it from a distance. The chick followed us both, somewhat far behind.
Well fed and back out in the full sun as the fog somewhat dissipated, the parent and chick preened.
The pair drifted lazily. I photographed them both frontlit and backlit. I love back light, when one photographs looking toward the light source, but for birds front light is normally far better as seen in the first image below.
I had been on the pond a bit over two hours. I decide to leave the pair and slowly head back. As I did I photographed several loons flying and landing on the pond.
Finally I saw in the distance the only other person since I launched. Not bad for a Sunday morning. However, by 9 AM the launch site was jumping with people and kayaks and the parking lot was full.
Here are some of the other photos I took the last Sunday of September at my favorite pond.
