In a message on 9 February, Bill Moody asked about loon feeding
behavior.

Fran and I once watched a Tricolored Heron dipping a crab in the
water over and over.  I guess it was hoping to soften it up a bit
before gulping it down.  I mention this because we saw the very same
thing this past weekend--a Common Loon at the Ocean City Inlet had
captured a crab and was "gumming" it and dipping it in the water
prior to swallowing it whole.  It went through the process for quite
a period of time, fifteen minutes or more.  

Best,
Norm