Loon Rescue at Bridgewater - 25 May 2026

It was about 2:45 pm this afternoon when I saw a Facebook post (BW Friends) from Janet Cousino showing a photo of a loon on the grass across the street from her house on Crystal Drive. She mentioned that it was scooting on its chest and was eluding capture. I decided to go try and help rescue the wayward bird since I knew that it needed a large body of water in order to take off and fly, and that there would be no help coming from outside resources due to the Holiday (Memorial Day). My guess is that recent heavy rains made the streets/parking lots look like streams/ponds and the loon mistakenly tried to put down on cement rather than water. 

I drove to her house and left a message saying that I'd help look for / rescue the loon if possible. She wasn't home but her phone call steered me in the direction of the bird. I walked the path next to Freedom Park but couldn't find the bird. I then walked around Bridgewater Way and Crystal Drive for about 45 minutes before Janet arrived and together we continued searching for the bird.

At about 4 pm I spotted the bird sitting low in the grass behind a house near Crystal Drive. A Common Loon (Gavia immer)! I had my camera and a blanket so I took a few photos of it in the grass before approaching slowly with the blanket. 

It reared up as I approached and let out a yodel before scampering off toward Crystal Drive. I followed it, and when it stopped to relax I tossed the blanket over it and gently picked up the bundle and started walking toward Janet and Lake Madison. She took a video of me releasing the loon.

I knew it would happen; as soon as I released it the Common Loon wanted to retaliate for its less-than-dignified capture, so I did my best to turn it around so it could see water. When it did it scampered into the lake and swam off toward the fountain near the dock. It also emitted a few (hopefully happy) yodels as it swam away.

After a few celebratory high-fives I walked along the shoreline to monitor the loon and send out a few texts. The loon swam and immediately started to stretch, flap wings, bathe, and preen. Janet and I were under the impression that it was happy and relieved to be back in familiar habitat. 

As I sat at the water's edge the loon swam just a few feet from shore and didn't seem too concerned with my presence. It swam back and forth, dove, and even swam toward me a few times. 

It continued to preen and stretch and I continued to take hundreds of photos w/ my 200-600mm lens.

After 10-15 minutes or so the Common Loon began to swim toward the fountain where it enjoyed a a few moments of bathing and temporary shelter. It gave me an opportunity to get some photos of a Common Loon under a deluge of water and spray.

A few minutes later it swam back into the open and hung around the dock area so I took it as my time to head home. 

What a thrill! A Common Loon in Del Webb's Bridgewater Community. 

Bridgewater - Lake Madison, Wayne, Michigan, US
May 25, 2026 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Janet Cousino on Crystal Drive next to Lake Madison found Common Loon on grass across road from lake.
1 species

Common Loon (Gavia immer)  1     Presumed juvenile in non-breeding plumage stranded on grass. Tossed blanket on it and carried it to Lake Madison where it was released. Swimming, preening, stretching, diving and feeding near fountain. Found by Janet Cousino and rescued by me. Pics.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S347413334
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Follow-up:

This morning (26 May 2026) Janet texted me to say that the Common Loon was still hanging out around the dock and swimming / feeding just fine.

I would go out late this afternoon to look for it but did not see it. I'll check again in the morning but hope that it may have rested enough to resume its trip to more northerly destination(s).