Cormorants and Anhingas – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Double-crested Cormorant At Charleston Lake Park

By Mia McPherson|December 2nd, 2024|Categories: Arkansas, Charleston Lake Park, Double-crested Cormorants, Franklin County|Tags: autumn, Charleston Lake, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, fall, hatch year, immature, lake, Nannopterum auritus, swimming, water|

I'm delighted to share two Double-crested Cormorant images that I took yesterday at Charleston Lake Park. Both photos show the same bird swimming on the lake.

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Pink Hour: American White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants over the Arkansas River

By Mia McPherson|November 24th, 2024|Categories: American White Pelicans, Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, Robert S. Kerr Lock and Dam|Tags: American White Pelican, Arkansas River, autumn, cormorant, cormorants, dawn, Double-crested Cormorant, early morning light, fall, flight, flocks, flying, Kerr Dam, Kerr Lock, Nannopterum auritus, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelican, pelicans, pink, pink hour, sky, small in frame|

Today, I'm sharing a photo of a small flock of American White Pelicans and a Double-crested Cormorant flying by in the gorgeous pink sky at the lock and dam.

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Neotropic Cormorant At Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

By Mia McPherson|May 26th, 2024|Categories: Grayson County, Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, Neotropic Cormorants, Texas|Tags: bottomlands, cormorant, cormorants, Lake Texoma, lakeside, marsh, Nannopterum brasilianum, Neotropic Cormorant, perched, resting, spring, vegetation, waterbirds|

I took these Neotropic Cormorant photos at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge in Grayson County, Texas two days ago. I was happy to see this cormorant species.

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Urban Double-crested Cormorant Photos In Spring

By Mia McPherson|April 9th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, checking, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, First Spring, flock, immature, Nannopterum auritus, out, park, pond, Salt Lake County, spring, urban, Utah, water, waterbirds|

While looking at my Common Loon photos from last spring, I came across these Double-crested Cormorant photos that I took at the same time last year.

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Double-crested Cormorant In A Spring Snowstorm

By Mia McPherson|March 27th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, Nannopterum auritus, pond, snow, snow storm, snowstorm, spring, spring snowstorm, urban, water|

While going through photos from around this time last year, this adult Double-crested Cormorant photo, taken during a spring snowstorm, stood out to me.

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Cooling View: Double-crested Cormorant In A Snow Storm

By Mia McPherson|July 31st, 2023|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, Nannopterum auritus, park, pond, snow, snow storm, snowing, spring, urban, water|

It's been mighty hot so far this summer, so today, I am sharing a cooling view of a Double-crested Cormorant in a snowstorm photo taken earlier this year.

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Double-crested Cormorant With A Tiger Trout

By Mia McPherson|May 6th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Brown x Brook Trout, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, fish, Nannopterum auritus, park, pond, prey, Salmo trutta × Salvelinus fontinalis, spring, swallowing, Tiger Trout, trout, urban, water|

At the end of April, while photographing an Osprey and Caspian Terns, I also found a Double-crested Cormorant swallowing a Tiger Trout close to home.

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Landing Double-crested Cormorant Reflections

By Mia McPherson|April 14th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, colorful, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, funky, landing, Nannopterum auritus, park, pond, reflections, Salt Lake County, sliding, spring, urban, Utah, water|

Last Sunday, when April and I were photographing birds together, I took images of this adult Double-crested Cormorant landing on funky reflections.

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Mix Of Urban Birds Close To Home

By Mia McPherson|April 10th, 2023|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Red-winged Blackbirds, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Savannah Sparrows, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Utah|Tags: accipiter, Accipiter striatus, Accipiters, adult, Agelaius phoeniceus, American Robin, Aythya americana, basketball backstop, blackbird, blackbirds, branches, cattail, close up, cormorant, cormorants, curb, Double-crested Cormorant, drake, duck, ducks, edge, habitat, hawks, immature, landing, male, Nannopterum auritus, neighborhood, park, Passerculus sandwichensis, perched, pond, portrait, raptors, Red-winged Blackbird, Redhead, redheads, robin, robins, Savannah Sparrow, Sharp-shinned Hawk, sky, small in frame, snow, sparrow, sparrows, splash, splashy, spring, stinkeye, thrush, thrushes, tree, Turdus migratorius, urban, water, waterbirds, waterfowl, young|

This mix of urban birds were taken over a two day period close to home. Birds, no matter where they are, bring me joy, happiness, and even laughter.

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Double-crested Cormorant on the Bear River

By Mia McPherson|March 14th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Double-crested Cormorants, Utah|Tags: adult, Bear River, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, Nannopterum auritus, reflection, river, spring, swimming, water, waterbirds, wetlands|

I photographed this adult Double-crested Cormorant at the end of March last spring as it swam by me on the Bear River. The color of its eyes was so striking.

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Sawgrass Lake Park Photos

By Mia McPherson|January 9th, 2023|Categories: Anhingas, Birds, Florida, Pinellas County, Sawgrass Lake Park|Tags: adult, anhinga, Anhinga anhinga, anhingas, branches, golden light, grasses, hills, lake, leaves, male, misty, morning, nesting material, Spanish Moss, summer, Tillandsia usneoides, tree, trees, water, wetlands|

This morning I am traveling back in time via my archives to revisit Sawgrass Lake Park in Pinellas County, Florida.

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Four Double-crested Cormorants Resting On The Bank Of The Bear River

By Mia McPherson|March 9th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Double-crested Cormorants, Utah|Tags: adult, bank, Bear River, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, drying, marsh, Nannopterum auritus, river, river bank, snag, stump, sunning, vegetation, warming, water, water birds, wetlands, winter|

After driving the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR two days ago I stopped to photograph four Double-crested Cormorants resting on the bank of the Bear River.

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Wondering About Overwintering Double-crested Cormorants

By Mia McPherson|November 12th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: autumn, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, drying, fall, hatch year, immature, Nannopterum auritus, pond, urban, water, waterbirds, wings, young|

Last winter I missed seeing overwintering Double-crested Cormorants at my local ponds and in other locations in northern Utah where I typically see them.

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What The Changes In The 2021 AOS Supplement Meant For Me

By Mia McPherson|June 26th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Double-crested Cormorants, Neotropic Cormorants, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: 2021 AOS Supplement, adult, autumn, Celtis reticulata, cormorant, cormorants, Corthylio calendula, desert, Double-crested Cormorant, fall, hackberry, kinglet, kinglets, landing, marsh, migration, Nannopterum auritus, Nannopterum brasilianum, Neotropic Cormorant, Netleaf Hackberry, perched, pond, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, shrub, spring, stump, urban, water, wetlands, winter|

The 2021 AOS Supplement did mean that I had a bit of work to do on my site after I read that it had been published on the ABA website last night.

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An Assortment Of Spring Birds From Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|April 23rd, 2021|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Eared Grebes, Forster's Terns, Gadwalls, Great Blue Herons, Long-billed Curlews, Red-winged Blackbirds, Sandhill Cranes, Utah, Western Grebes, White-faced Ibises, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: adult, Aechmophorus clarkii, Aechmophorus occidentalis, Agelaius phoeniceus, Antigone canadensis, Ardea herodias, Bear River, birds, breeding plumage, Clark's Grebe, Definitive Alternate Plumage, displaying, Double-crested Cormorant, Eared Grebe, flight, flying, Forster's Tern, Gadwall, Great Blue Heron, horn, Long-billed Curlew, Mareca strepera, marsh, Mergus serrator, Nannopterum auritus, Numenius americanus, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, Plegadis chihi, Podiceps nigricollis, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-winged Blackbird, river, Sandhill Crane, spring, Sterna forsteri, Weed Ceremony, Western Grebe, wetlands, white pelican, White-faced Ibis, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, Yellow-headed Blackbird|

Today I wanted to share an assortment of spring birds all photographed at Bear River MBR yesterday on a bright and beautiful morning.

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Puzzling Absence Of Double-crested Cormorants This Winter At My Local Ponds

By Mia McPherson|February 18th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: absence, adult, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, missing, Nannopterum auritus, odd, overwinter, overwintering, pond, puzzling, resting, snow, urban, water, winter|

Every winter since I moved to northern Utah in 2009 I have found a few Double-crested Cormorants overwintering at my local ponds but this winter has been very different.

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Adult Double-crested Cormorant Showing The Electric Blue Lining Of Its Mouth

By Mia McPherson|July 7th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Double-crested Cormorants, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, electric blue, lining, marsh, mouth, Nannopterum auritus, water, water birds, wetlands|

During the breeding season even the inside of the mouths of Double-crested Cormorants show changes, the lining inside their mouths turns into a deep, electric or cobalt blue.

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Highlights Of My Bird Photography Trip Yesterday to Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|June 3rd, 2019|Categories: American Avocets, American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Double-crested Cormorants, Long-tailed Weasels, Snowy Plovers, Utah|Tags: adult, American Avocet, American White Pelican, Anarhynchus nivosus, Asian Carp, Black-crowned Night Heron, carp, close up, Double-crested Cormorant, fish, flats, hunting, immature, Long-tailed Weasel, male, marsh, mate, Mustela frenata, Nannopterum auritus, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, preening, Recurvirostra americana, road, Snowy Plover, splashing, standing up, Supplemental Plumage, watching over, weasel, weasels|

When a bird photography trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge starts with me spotting not just one but two Snowy Plovers out on the flats I just know the day is off to a great start and that is what happened yesterday morning.

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Double-crested Cormorant In A Snow Storm

By Mia McPherson|March 14th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, flight, Nannopterum auritus, snow, snow storm, snowflakes|

One of the birds that caught my attention at my local pond yesterday during the snow storm was an adult Double-crested Cormorant flying in front of a willow tree with lots of snowflakes in the frame.

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Me With An Anhinga Waiting Out A Storm Plus The Story Behind This Image

By Mia McPherson|March 11th, 2019|Categories: Anhingas, Birds, Florida, Pinellas County, Sawgrass Lake Park|Tags: anhinga, Anhinga anhinga, anhingas, boardwalk, lightning, maple swamp, observation deck, rain, rain storm, storm, summer, swamp, thunder storm|

The story behind the images I took of the Anhinga waiting out the storm isn't a happy or pleasant one but I still liked the images I took.

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Landing Immature Double-crested Cormorant Seeking Safety

By Mia McPherson|February 12th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, immature, landing, molting, Nannopterum auritus, pond, splash down, urban, winter, young|

This immature Double-crested Cormorant appears to be molting and probably needs all the rest it can get because of the molt and because winter is hard on these overwintering cormorants.

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New Year’s Day Neotropic Cormorant Sighting

By Mia McPherson|January 2nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Neotropic Cormorants, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, cormorant, cormorants, flight, gull, gulls, Larus delawarensis, late sighting, mountains, Nannopterum brasilianum, Neotropic Cormorant, New Year's Day, pond, Ring-billed Gull, Wasatch Mountains, winter|

What caught my eyes was that one of the cormorants was smaller, sleeker and darker than the other two birds and before I even scoped it through my lens I knew that I had found an out of season Neotropic Cormorant.

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Immature Double-crested Cormorant Flight In Golden Afternoon Light

By Mia McPherson|December 2nd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: autumn, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, fall, flight, golden light, immature, Nannopterum auritus, pond, urban, waterbirds, young|

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.

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Some of the Birds That People Love to Hate

By Mia McPherson|March 11th, 2018|Categories: American Crows, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Common Ravens, Double-crested Cormorants, European Starlings, Fish Crows, Florida, House Sparrows, Laughing Gulls, Mallards|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, birds people love to hate, Black-billed Magpie, Branta canadensis, Brown-headed Cowbird, Canada Goose, Common Raven, Corvus corax, Corvus ossifragus, Double-crested Cormorant, European Starling, Fish Crow, House Sparrow, Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, Mallard, Molothrus ater, Nannopterum auritus, Passer domesticus, Pica hudsonia, Sturnus vulgaris|

Okay, that is enough for now, there are more birds that people love to hate but I can only deal with so much of it before I feel the need to get out and photograph all the birds I see, even those that other people despise.

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Double-crested Cormorant After Surfacing

By Mia McPherson|November 27th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, Nannopterum auritus, pond, surfacing, urban, water, water droplets, waterbirds, winter|

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.

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Missing the Birds of Bear River MBR & Spring Migration

By Mia McPherson|April 9th, 2017|Categories: American Avocets, American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Long-billed Dowitchers, Short-eared Owls, Utah, Wilson's Phalaropes|Tags: Aechmophorus clarkii, American Avocet, American White Pelican, Asio flammeus, auto tour loop, auto tour route, Black-crowned Night Heron, Clark's Grebe, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, feeding, flight, flock, Limnodromus scolopaceus, Long-billed Dowitcher, marshes, Nannopterum auritus, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, owls, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelicans, Phalaropus tricolor, Recurvirostra americana, shorebirds, Short-eared Owl, wading birds, Wilson's Phalarope|

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route is still closed and many of the birders, bird photographers and nature lovers are itching to know what birds are there because after all spring migration is an exciting time at the refuge.

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Double-crested Cormorant and American Coot in a Snow Storm

By Mia McPherson|February 24th, 2017|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: American Coot, coot, coots, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, feeding, Fulica americana, low light, Nannopterum auritus, pond, preening, snow, snow storm, snowy, urban, waterbirds, winter|

It was my photos of a Double-crested Cormorant and American Coot in the snow storm that touched me the most even though both birds are small in the frame.

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Looking at 2016 in the Rear View Mirror or My Photographic Year in Review

By Mia McPherson|December 31st, 2016|Categories: American Barn Owls, American Bitterns, American Pipits, Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Box Elder County, Burrowing Owls, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Davis County, Double-crested Cormorants, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Horned Owls, High Uintas, Hybrid Geese, Idaho, Leucistic, Montana, Peregrine Falcons, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Red-tailed Hawks, Salt Lake County, Short-eared Owls, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wayne County, Western Bluebirds, Wilson's Phalaropes, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: American Barn Owl, American Bittern, American Pipit, Anthus rubescens, Aphelocoma woodhouseii, Asio flammeus, Athene cunicularia, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Botaurus lentiginosus, Bubo virginianus, Burrowing Owl, Buteo jamaicensis, Canada x Snow Goose, Cathartes aura, Double-crested Cormorant, Falco peregrinus, Great Horned Owl, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, hybrid, Marmota flaviventris, Megaceryle alcyon, Nannopterum auritus, Peregrine Falcon, Phalaropus tricolor, Red-naped Sapsucker, Red-tailed Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Sialia mexicana, Sphyrapicus nuchalis, Turkey Vulture, Tyto furcata, Western Bluebird, Wilson's Phalarope, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Yellow-bellied Marmot|

Wow, today is the last day of the year 2016. This is my photographic year in review from Utah, Idaho and Montana!

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Double-crested Cormorant with its Catch – The Story Behind the Images

By Mia McPherson|December 13th, 2016|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: California Gull, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, fish, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, Nannopterum auritus, pond, prey, swallowing, urban, weather|

It was fun photographing this Double-crested Cormorant with its catch yesterday afternoon close to home especially since I knew the weather was going to take a turn.

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Resting Double-crested Cormorant at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By Mia McPherson|June 17th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Double-crested Cormorants, Utah|Tags: adult, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, marsh, Nannopterum auritus, preening, resting, spring, stump, sunning, wetlands|

I spent the morning at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday and one of the birds I photographed the most was this resting Double-crested Cormorant.

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