Pacific Loon, Lake Parsippany, NJ, Mar. 16, 2013 (digiscoped by Jonathan Klizas)

Pacific Loon, Lake Parsippany, NJ, Mar. 16, 2013. (digiscoped by Jonathan Klizas)

Why have one when two will do.

After viewing the continuing juvenile Pacific Loon at Morris Plains this morning (Day 8), Simon Lane and I drove over to Lake Parsippany to investigate a suspicious eBird report of a Red-throated Loon from the previous day (sound familiar Jeff, Frank, Sam and Tom?). The water at the lake was very calm for the first time all week and it did not take long to discover a loon that was anything BUT a Red-throated. An adult Pacific Loon was near the north end of the lake. We watched and photographed it from the east shore of the lake while it periodically dove and surfaced. This loon covers a lot of distance quickly underwater. Like the juvenile Pacific Loon in Morris Plains, this adult can spend long periods underwater and be difficult to locate. You are hopeful to be looking in the right area when it does emerge because it may dive again almost immediately. At one point, Simon and I were viewing it as it swam near the north end. We stopped watching to take care of some Twitter and mocosocoBirds posting business after which we could not relocate the loon for some time until realizing that it had moved all the way to the southern end of the lake. Slowly it swam and dove its way back to the north end.

Here is a map with both Pacific Loon locations. The distance is barely 3 miles as the loon flies and 5 miles and 10 minutes by automobile. Here is a map of Lake Parsippany with the typical viewing locations. As always, be respectful and courteous. The entire lake shore is developed and populated. Some of the locals are very protective about their lake and the people who use it.