When I saw these birds flying over the marsh last Friday, I assumed they were the Canada geese that spend nights on the marsh and fly out to the river come morning. However, I thought it rather odd that they weren't making any noise. When I zoomed in, I discovered they were cormorants. What I may have witnessed was a migratory flight, as apparently October and November are the peak migration times for northern cormorants.
It doesn't seem as though there have been as many cormorants at the marsh this year as there were last year. I wonder if the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, where many cormorants overwinter, had anything to do with it. At any rate, today I did find this juvenile (pale breast) perched close enough to get a reasonably decent shot.
This shot wasn't taken at the marsh, but nearby from the perimeter trail that borders the Annapolis River. It was low tide, and I noticed a row of black spots out near the causeway. Upon a closer look I realized it was a row of cormorants, with a couple of sea gulls thrown in. I get a kick out of watching these awkward birds, although they're not everyone's favorite. There used to be more of them at the marsh when there were more loafing bars and snags to perch on.
I chuckled when I saw this cormorant quartet lined up, wings out-stretched, on the edge of the wharf at the sailing school this morning. The wing feathers on the one second from the right seem to be rather tattered, perhaps an older bird. These birds should be packing their bags before very long.
The cormorants are still plentiful on the marsh, perched in the dead trees or on stumps, wings spread to dry, or swimming about and diving for fish. This one was feeding fairly close to the shore this morning. It was trying to dislodge the piece of vegetation it had gotten caught in its beak.
(Sorry, I couldn't resist adding a little levity.)
This cormorant was sitting fairly close to the shore this morning, so I stood and watched it for some minutes, to see how it reacted to its surroundings. It was definitely aware of what was happening around it, as was to be expected, but I don't know why it pointed its beak skyward (top photo - looks like it was imitating a bittern!); nor why it stretched its neck out like it did in the bottom photo. Like I say, these are amusing birds to watch.
The birds weren't acting any differently this morning, or at least to my eyes, despite the fact that by that time tomorrow we're supposed to be in the midst of a category one hurricane. These two cormorants were poised on a dock at the sailing school, where I have seen them all week. The school is now closed for the season, so they have the place to themselves. One of them had its beak open the whole time I was watching them. I wondered if it wasn't panting in the heat and humidity like a dog would. Certainly its dark feathers absorb the heat. Notice that the bird on the left seems to be using its tail as a prop.
No, this isn't the same picture I posted on the 25th, although it was taken at the same time of the morning and at the same spot. I just thought it kind of neat that this time there were two birds standing there 'in position'.
Yes, another cormorant, but I find them amusing, especially in this pose. This one had been fishing in the stream between the marsh and the main road, then moved onto the bank next to where the Black Ducks often hang out, to dry his feathers. (It looks like he should have worn his rubber boots.) BTW, I counted 26 cormorants on the marsh this morning.
This one's for you, Bonnie. Bonnie Baker, one of our local artists, did two gorgeous ink prints of cormorants for Paint the Town last weekend, both of which I placed (unsuccessful, darn) bids on.
I stepped up on the viewing platform at the marsh this morning, looked over the railing, and this is what I saw - a cormorant that had been 'fishing' right below the platform. The reflection of the dark clouds on the water's surface made for a striking shot, I felt.
I saw several Double-Crested Cormorants fishing this morning. This one (top photo) had just come up from a dive, and was swallowing its catch. You can see part of what was possibly a stickleback fish hanging from its beak. The bottom photo is of two cormorants who were taking a break and drying out their feathers.
This Double-crested Cormorant was feeding this morning, continually diving under the duckweed-covered water. As I watched him (her?), I was keeping my fingers crossed that when he gets to his winter quarters, it won't be oil-covered water that he'll be diving under.
Those who have seen the cormorants perched on their tree stumps in the marsh may have noticed that a few of them are lighter colored than others. These are juvenile cormorants. Cormorants nest in colonies, sometimes with seagulls on rocky outcrops, sometimes in trees. Possibly these birds were hatched locally.
There is concern for their welfare, as they winter in the Gulf of Mexico or pass through there when they migrate, as do so many of the waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds that spend their breeding season at the marsh. Many of them will be unknowingly heading toward areas that pose great risk to their survival, due to the BP oil disaster.
I see cormorants at the marsh every day, although they are usually farther from the shore now, since the loafing bars closer to shore where they used to sit with their wings spread to dry, have worn away. The above photo shows part of a group of twelve birds I saw fly over the marsh last evening. The top photo is of two cormorants and friends (Black Ducks) taken in August of 2008. I always chuckle when I see them stand like that.
