Thursday, April 4, 2013

BIG BIRDS

I am having so much fun discovering more about a bird that a month ago I didn't even know existed!
I posted the Double-Crested Cormorant recently, noting how huge it is. I am familiar with the smaller, sleeker shore cormorant, but this type is so big it looks almost prehistoric.
I now turn off my regularly-traveled errand road whenever I can, to check on my new friends.
Most of the time I am disappointed because they are not there.
A couple of days ago - Bingo!
This time, because of the sun, I could see they have bright blue-green eyes, 
plus even though they are grey-black, I love the definition of their feathers:


They are at least 3 feet tall, and those wonderful stabilizing feet are probably dinner-plate size:

I like this photo because of the one guy being very vocal, and because with the other head-on 
bird we can see 
how they got the "double-crested" name.
I also like the water background because it looks like an impressionistic watercolor:

On a stark black and grey day I loved this scene of a bare tree and an empty eagle's nest with
the barn foreground.  I knew next time I was here the newly-greening leaves would hide that nest.
I wondered if anyone was home.


A broader view showed me there was a guardian of the home!


So I had to check on him:

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2 comments:

pat said...

I see that none of my comments have been showing up. I have been commenting, honestly!
Love the cormorant shots, and am so glad you were able to get there on a sunny day when you can really notice the eye color. Fooj did a good job getting in there.
Great shot of the eagle nest; I pointed it out to Laura a couple of days ago. Love the fact that you saw one of the pair up in an adjacent tree---again, great zooming in!!

Lynda said...

I love love love this post! Although all of the pics are wonderful, I particularly love the bird reflecting in the water. It seemed like he was posing for you! Where is this place?! I'd love to see for myself.