Yellow-billed Loon
Gavia adamsii

f14 @ 1/1600s, ISO:800, Nikon D300 w 500mm and 1.4X teleconverter

"Yellow-billed Loon," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Like other loons, it forms long-lasting pairs. Though it prefers freshwater pools or lakes in the tundra, the yellow-billed loon will also breed along rivers, estuaries or the coast in low-lying areas of the Arctic; in general, it avoids forested areas. Breeding typically starts in early June, though it is dependent on the timing of the spring thaw. Like all members of its family, the yellow-billed loon builds a nest of plant material very close to the edge of the water. Copulation takes place on land, without any specific courtship. The pair defends its large territory intensively against intruders, but may later in the breeding season gang up with other birds on good fishing spots. The female lays two eggs measuring 89 by 55 millimeters (3.5 by 2.2 in). The eggs are strongly oval, and are a light purple-brown with darker blotches interspersed. This color camouflages with the soil and vegetation that this bird nests near. Most of the time, however, the egg is not visible due to incubation, which takes around 27 to 29 days.

Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada

07/05/2011