Russ Smith, Photographer, The Loon Project
At times the glacial northward push by loons can look more like dawdling than caution. So it seemed with Lena, Sheila Johnston’s favorite loon, when, on April 3rd, she stopped to visit Chicago for four days on her return to Upper Gull Lake in north-central Minnesota. She was undaunted by the Sears Tower looming in the distance, the steady buzz of city life, and the throng of nature photographers gawking at her tameness and brightly colored leg bands. But she seemed in no hurry to return to Minnesota. Read more.