Double-crested Cormorant flight in golden light – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Because of the weather I haven’t been getting out to photograph lately but there is white precipitation falling this morning so perhaps I will be able to go to the local pond and photograph birds in the falling snow. I hope so, I’m getting twitchy. Really twitchy.
Last month I did have one good day for bird photography on the local pond and I photographed several different species of birds in sweet, golden afternoon light which is always a joy. One of the birds I took images of that afternoon was an immature Double-crested Cormorant that flew past me in that golden light just barely above the surface of the pond. Two days ago I was at the pond to see what species were hanging around and I saw one cormorant. I suspect it is the same bird because it was immature too.
Double-crested Cormorants are considered migratory here in northern Utah but I have seen them every month of the year. Of course during the breeding season the cormorants are here in much larger numbers than they are during the winter but if the pond doesn’t freeze over completely this bird may stick around for the winter. In Florida I saw Double-crested Cormorants year round and they were more approachable than the cormorants I see here. The cormorants here in Utah can be fairly skittish.
One thing I have noticed is that the eyes of Double-crested Cormorants here in Utah; while colorful, is that their eyes are not as vibrant or as vividly colored as the cormorants I saw and photographed in Florida.
I was happy to have this cormorant fly past me in the golden light last month and I’d be glad to photograph it again today; or any day, in the falling snow.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Double-crested Cormorant photos plus facts and information about this species.
This shot of the Cormorant caught my attention when I was leaving your post of the Wasatch Mountains. When I lived on the Southern Gulf Coast I spent a lot of time on the water and the silhouette in the evening light was so familiar. I have watched them many times. My first introduction to the Cormorant was in a James Bond novel set in the Orient. They were using them to catch fish. It was interesting and I would think of them having to give up their fish.
Your shot is beautiful in the golden light and I love the horizontal lines of the Cormorant in flight. Brought back good memories.
Glorious light – to set off a beautiful bird.
Love that afternoon light–very beautiful image. Like Liz, I despair of increasing limits for hunters.
I like Cormorants but I am one of few who do. There is a proposal here in Ontario to re-class Double-crested Cormorants as game birds in order to cull them with a maximum of 50 birds per day and a hunting season of March 15 to December 31 in Southern Ontario (June 16 to August 31 in Central and Northern Ontario). At this point it is only a proposal so I am hoping things will change.
Nicer