It turns out that Ed is an expert at spotting the loons, and also at manouvering his boat for the ideal photograph. All this while in a cast with a broken foot! We saw and photographed at least three loons, but did not see any young (a bit early) or any nests. We did find a kingbird nest (a photo of it is available on the left).
Wendy also suggested a "short" hike up a hill to photograph the lake in its entirety. After my experience climbing Mount Jackson with my brother, I swore never to do anything like that again. Although easier than Mount Jackson, the hike was neither "short" nor "easy" for me (due primarily to rheumatoid arthritis). I made it and you will see a couple of photos available on the left. Wendy (with her braces) made the hike down look easy. I just made it.
You can see Wendy's photographs of loons at her website.
Roger also has a great boat for photography with big lenses: his boat is 20 feet long, 8 feet wide, is flat in the front two thirds, and can run safely in 18 inches of water. Joan and I were able to use our big lenses on tripods side by side in the front of Roger's boat. We highly recommend going out with him if you wish to photograph on Lake Umbagog or on nearby rivers.