Cold spring morning - loon flap

[Randy Stout]

Thanks everyone for your input.  I appreciate it and value it!

Randy

[ThomasAdams]

Randy,

 Any photos or details on your boat or methods here on NG? I would be very interested in a behind the scenes look. Unless of course it's a family secret 

[rosko]

A master piece of bird photography !
Definitely the colour version : poetic atmosphere.
 

[Randy Stout]

Randy,

 Any photos or details on your boat or methods here on NG? I would be very interested in a behind the scenes look. Unless of course it's a family secret 

Thomas:

I shoot out of three different setups, depending on the body of water I am at. They each have their plus and minuses.  On bigger lakes, this is the boat I use.  The red seat can be moved around and is used for in flight shots where I won't be able to track them with the pedestal mounted 600mm. The blue seat does pivot  360 degrees too, but to complete the pivot I have to slide it to the other side of the boat a bit along the track you can just see poking out under the front and rear of the pedestal. 
The trolling motor is controlled by a hand held remote, can do what is called spot lock to keep you in one area, even if the wind is blowing, and a few other tricks.
This is the 2019 version of this boat, it continues to evolve.  I do put an outboard gas engine on when going on bigger lakes where I need the speed, but use the silent trolling motor whenever possible.

[golunvolo]

I´m very jealous 

[Kim Pilegaard]

The boat looks like a spacious studio. Where I photograph loons (southern Sweden) they seem to be afraid of boats. I have tried kayaks, canoes, rowing boats with and without camouflage, but rarely came close. I have finally found that the best way to get them close is to sit on the shore and just wait for them to come near by themselves.

[Randy Stout]

Kim:

I appreciate the loons being spooky around boats.  In general, in the areas I work, there is enough fishing from boats going on that the loons are used to them.  They may have different tolerances, but it is usually doable.  I am not patient enough to sit on the shore line, since at least here, they might come by a spot very often! 

Quick story:  Loons do apparently recognize different boats, which surprised me.  As I mentioned, I have several rigs, and on lakes where I use my kayak a lot, they get really use to me, and let me get pretty close. My good friend who shoots out of a kayak also, has several lakes he frequents.  His kayak is blue, mine is dark brown.  When we switch lakes, neither set of loons will let the person in the
"wrong" color kayak, get near to them!!... We have done this both ways and it is consistent.  I guess we will just have to swap kayaks when we go to the different lakes, so the right color kayak is used on each lake!

Randy

[Kim Pilegaard]

Very interesting observation, that they seem to get familiar with boats they see often. In "my" lake, the resident pair often patrols the boundaries of their territory - usually in the late afternoon. I normally spend 2-3 hours sitting at the lake shore and most times I will have a "visit" of one or more loons within a comfortable distance a couple of times. I hope they also get accustomed to me. According to your observation, I should then appear in the same clothes/camouflage every time.

[Randy Stout]

Kim:

I do try to wear similar, muted colors every time I am out in the boat, although not camo.  I sit on the floor most of the time in the seat you can see in my boat image, to reduce my profile.  To be honest, I am not sure if that makes much difference, but anything I can do to make them more comfortable.  Once they truly get used to you, some of them will swim up and circle the boat as if to say good morning.  That is uncommon, but I have had a few individuals that seemed quite friendly over the many years.

The opposite can happen as well.  On one of the lakes a follow, I am almost positive that there was a new female 3 years ago. Both members of that mating pair had been quite tolerant, and then the next spring, the female was going wacko when I got within 100yards.  She did this with my friend as well.  When the male was minding the chicks by himself, he would give us a gander, and then go back to fishing while we bobbed around them.  We have tried to very gradually get the new female use to us, with minimal success so far!

Randy

[ThomasAdams]

Randy,

 Thank you so much for the behind the scenes. I really appreciate it and my guess would be that my wife may veto that "lens" purchase  . But I will certainly be on the lookout for something that may suit my needs. I like the purpose built seats as well, a very nice touch! I read later where wrote that some loons (and perhaps other birds) get used to certain shapes and colors. So obviously I could get lucky - but I would obviously need to be patient and continue returning to the same area(s) to hopefully establish my boats presence as non-threatening.

Regards,
Tom

Thomas:

I shoot out of three different setups, depending on the body of water I am at. They each have their plus and minuses.  On bigger lakes, this is the boat I use.  The red seat can be moved around and is used for in flight shots where I won't be able to track them with the pedestal mounted 600mm. The blue seat does pivot  360 degrees too, but to complete the pivot I have to slide it to the other side of the boat a bit along the track you can just see poking out under the front and rear of the pedestal. 
The trolling motor is controlled by a hand held remote, can do what is called spot lock to keep you in one area, even if the wind is blowing, and a few other tricks.
This is the 2019 version of this boat, it continues to evolve.  I do put an outboard gas engine on when going on bigger lakes where I need the speed, but use the silent trolling motor whenever possible.