Exploring Kootenay Lake

There is something unsettling about seeing a bird on a wire — possibly this arises from the juxtaposition of wild and processed.

The memorable line, like a bird on a wire, came from Lenard Cohen. In the 1960s, he was living on the Greek island of Hydra when the beginning of electrical distribution resulted in a disturbing sight: Birds began to perch on the newly installed wires. This shift in the landscape prompted his iconic song about the freedom to choose. From the bird’s point of view, a wire was just another available perch, which was maybe what Cohen was getting at when he wrote:

Like a bird on the wire … I have tried in my way to be free.

In his song, Cohen used like as a comparative. However, I use it as a verb when I say: On balance, I don’t “like a bird on a wire”.

All of which makes the line ambiguous. Four birds on wires follow.

Mountain Bluebird

Tree Swallow

Rough-winged Swallow

Common Yellowthroat

It is difficult to take any good picture of a loon on this lake, let alone a frontal portrait:

• Loons need clear water to spot prey, so they avoid humans, who typically befoul waterways.

• Loons seem to prefer the larger fish found in deep water, so don’t often approach the shore, from which vantage, pictures are easily taken. 

• The high contrast of the loon’s plumage presents exposure problems.

• The common practice of waterbirds is to view potential predators sideways rather than head on. This limits the opportunities for frontal portraiture.

• To top this off, the striking red eye of the summer loon is not apparent from every angle. 

• All of these problems are exacerbated on Kootenay Lake, because loons do not choose to breed along its shores owing to the variation in water level.

• Strikingly, I have been much closer to grizzly bears than I have been to loons.

I was reminded of these issues while searching for a portrait of a loon to include in the posting, Canadian life, and only found a somewhat acceptable one. The odd thing is that one day after that posting, I managed better portraits when two loons did swim close to the shore.

Two loons offer simultaneous frontal and profile views, even including red eyes. To view the full width of the picture, the cursor must be moved to various places across the frame. (A mobile device uses a tap.)
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