Vlad the Impaler

Visiting Alaska last week reminded me of Vlad, the confirmed bachelor Red-Throated Loon. Thanks @j.hunter_photo for introducing me!

Saw a Red-throated Loon today, which is a real rare thing here because it lives in the arctic region and only visits us in winter-time.
Too far away to take a picture but the light was beautiful anyway. So these are the pictures instead:

>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-throated_loon?wprov=sfti1#Behaviour

#birds #redthroatedloon #photos #lake #winter #light #sterntaucher

Some birds and beasts seen at Pt. Lookout, NY, yesterday on a very cold day!

These are:
Harbor Seal:
This individual popped up three times to check me out on the jetty I was taking pictures from.

Red-throated Loon

A pair of male Common Eiders

King Eider:
Well, it would be a Queen Eider, in this case. Eiders are large diving ducks (although they will sometimes feed at the surface like dabblers). King Eiders nest in the far reaches of the north. The migrate down the coasts, but are not common in our area. And, they are threatened by climate change, fossil fuel extraction and other human impacts. I was hoping to see this bird, and lucked out. I just realized the way I cropped the image, it looks like the two ducks in the foreground are sitting in a movie theater watching a movie on the Big Screen 😆

#nature #NaturePhotography #birds #Wildlife #naturecommunity #photography #BirdsOfMastodon #birdphotography #birding #marinemammal #pinniped #HarborSeal #CommonEider #KingEider #RedthroatedLoon