The Common Loon. I see these birds often, as I kayak along Tomales Bay and the Point Reyes National Seashore, and I am always sure to tell them, “There’s nothing common about you.” They are a fun bird to watch as they dive and catch crabs or fish. Even more fun is certain times of the year when their wavering calls carry over the water… This wasn’t one of those times.

The loon that I filmed was grooming itself as it floated on the waters of Tomales Bay, just south of Pelican Point. It seems a fairly thorough process, as you will see from the footage. Very fun to watch. I have additional footage, but this single clip seemed to tell a nice story in itself.

Enjoy

For those that want more technical stuff, this was all shot from my kayak and hand held using a digital SLR with video capabilities. A 300mm lens with built in image stabilization was used to help steady the image as I was shooting. The sound is through the built in microphone. For further examples of kayak videography and kayak photography, search through the category bar at the right hand side of the screen.