One summer several years ago I was lucky enough to spend some time at Lake Abanakee in the middle of the Adirondack mountains. While the lake was teeming with wildlife, I was especially enamored by the whimsical common loons (of the bird variety) that inhabited the lake. Although the loons could be spotted at any time of the day, they seemed to be particularly active at dusk, right before the sun was set to creep behind the trees. 

After realizing this the first night I was there, I made it a habit to paddle out in my kayak each night about an hour before sunset, in search of the birds. You could hear them call from miles away – that almost creepy, yet solemn trill call, often echoed down-water by another avian companion. What a joy it was to then come upon these birds within sight. Sometimes you would encounter just one, but at other times, as many as three and four would stumble upon you as they were traveling together. The birds are impressive in their own right, with deep black feathers abutting against a pure white. But what I enjoyed most about these birds was their propensity to dance. 

The bird in the picture above was in the middle of one of its pirouettes when I snapped this photo. Thrusting out of the water with the head pointing down, each loon would dance on the water. Rising up and then forward, turning over and around, flapping wings when able, the birds would glide across the water as if effortlessly flowing from one step to another. I’m one to believe that our avian companions experience many of the same feelings that we do and I’m fairly certain that when fluttering across the water, these birds sense a freedom much like I feel when I dance. Whether in a crowd, with a partner, or alone in my home, dancing is an expression of merriment and exuberance. Watching those loons connects me to those feelings. They remind us to enjoy simple pleasures – moving and shaking whenever possible!