For at least 10 years a Common Loon with a deformed bill has appeared on the bay side of Duxbury Beach between the Bridge and usually the 1st crossover. I don't always see it but have been able to build this gallery of documentation photos over the 10 year period.

The bird arrives in winter (a/k/a "basic") plumage and by the time it leaves in early April, it has molted into its familiar breeding (a/k/a "alternate") plumage. Given the unique nature of its upper mandible and that it shows up in the same small area each year, one has to assume it is the same individual making its annual stopover!

It's intriguing to think that without the unique appearance one would never realize that we've been seeing the same individual each year and enjoy the wonder of pondering how this old friend handles all the vagaries of weather and migration challenges to appear so regularly having covered hundreds if not thousands of miles each year!