One of my favorite things about northern Wisconsin (where I just returned from camping) are the common loons that spend the summers there.

They’re beautiful and kind of elusive. They don’t like to get close to humans at all. But I was armed with a new telephoto lens I bought several months ago, and was determined to get some decent shots.

The haunting call the loon makes at night is probably the biggest reason I like them so much. There is nothing quite like laying in your sleeping bag and hearing the loons wail as you’re drifting off to sleep.

I mentioned the loons being a bit elusive. Even with my telephoto zoom all the way out to 300mm, I did crop all the photos here (except one). This next picture…

was cropped from the one below, which is about the closest I was able to get to the loons I saw last week.

Occasionally, if you’re patient and watch them long enough, you may be able to see the loons come out of the water a bit to stretch their wings.