Double-crested Cormorant After Surfacing

Double-crested Cormorant after surfacing from a dive – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 320, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Last December there were several Double-crested Cormorants hanging around my local pond here in northern Utah and I had a great time photographing them. I was surprised that the cormorants from last December hung around as long as they did since the temps at the time were bitter cold and there was plenty of ice on the pond.

There was one Double-crested Cormorant I photographed last December that came up so close to the “mobile blind” that at times I couldn’t fit the entire bird into my viewfinder. The cormorant kept diving after an injured fish and resurfacing with it while Ring-billed Gulls attempted to take off with the fish. The fish was too large for the gulls to carry and eventually they left the fish and the cormorant alone.

In the photo above the cormorant had just resurfaced after diving down into the pond, the fin of the fish can be seen in front of the bird’s neck at water level. I liked the flying water droplets, the eye contact I had with the bird and the shades of blue in the water.

I’m not seeing the Double-crested Cormorants at the pond now which is somewhat surprising to me since it has been warmer than normal. With all the open water though they may be somewhere else or they may have migrated out of the area.

I have noticed that the eyes of the Double-crested Cormorants here in Utah are not as vividly colored as those I photographed in Florida. I don’t know why there is a difference but I do find the differences interesting. Maybe it is something in their diets.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Double-crested Cormorant photos plus facts and information about this species.