The Cormorant, a Double Crested Cormorant to be exact, is one of my nemesis birds. I’ve seen a lot of them down south, but it seems like I never get a very good photo opportunity. They are either too far away, too much under water and only their neck and head are sticking out and that makes for a pretty slim subject, or simply just too skiddish and they take off before I get close enough.
On the morning I got these shots at Cowan Lake, I saw these two Cormorants just off the edge of a little jetty of land sticking out into the lake. There was about a two to three foot drop from the land to the water and I was able to stay low and sneak up fairly close before they took off. I made sure I had my camera set up as best I could pre-plan for a fast shutter speed, but the issue was that as I began to get closer, a large cloud decided to block the sunlight. Another attempt of things going against me and in favor of my old nemesis.
But this time, some good fortune was on my side. Once they saw me and decided to take off, I was able to get off a few shots of them flying away and landing again somewhat nearby. Then with some quick adjustments, I got some pretty good shots. You can clearly see that extremely recognizable hook at the end of the beak, and that amazingly blue eye.
The Cormorant is a somewhat dull colored bird, and often not much of it is exposed. It is a diver, so unlike most aquatic birds, it’s feathers are not super water resistant. This allows it to dive and hunt underwater for longer periods of time, which add another dimension when trying to track it and get a good photo. They will often dive under the water, and then it is anyone’s guess where they will pop up. Add to that, one of their nicknames is “Snake Bird.” Called such, because as I said, more often then not, like in my top picture, not much more than their head and neck remain out of the water.
So again I hope you enjoy the Double Breasted Cormorant. A difficult bird for me to catch with my camera, but at least I can check it off the list, and now move on to getting better shots of this sneaky little bird. Be sure to press the “Like” and “Follow” buttons below, and don’t forget to leave me a comment.
Until next time, from my camera to yours, “Enjoy Our Wonderful World!”
RM Goldsmith Photography 