In the summer of 1978, Courtright observed and photographed a solitary Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) near the mouth of Ballona Creek, where it enters the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles County, California. Its remiges were tattered or poorly developed, perhaps due either to some nutritional deficiency or normal molt. A band of dark brown across the lower neck, extending faintly down the breast and belly, indicates that the bird had encountered oil on the water. Possibly related to these factors was the bird’s unusual behavior in coming ashore. It swam rapidly toward the shore on the surface of the water and, without using its wings, leaped forward into the air and alighted on the beach.