double-crested cormorant

Tag

By Pelicans and Cormorants

Jordan Lake. This morning the white pelicans appeared again! They joined right in with the double-crested-cormorants and everyone was feasting on fish. These two species keep an eye on each other – not that they are afraid of each other – but if one group is finding fish maybe they should go over to that group and see if they can find fish too. It was a lot of fun watching them.

By Last Day of Autumn

Jordan Lake. Today is the last day of autumn. Often double-crested cormorants look to me like they are bemused and perhaps a little worried. I wonder if this one is sensing autumn’s turn into winter tomorrow, Wednesday.

double-crested cormorant

By Multitude of Double-Crested Cormorants

Jordan Lake: We have a resident population of double-crested cormorants here at the lake. The residents stay here all year around. However, come the cool weather of late fall and through the winter, we have hundreds of migratory double-crested cormorants that gather at the lake. Here are just a few of them. It is awesome to go to one of the boat ramps or fishing piers early in the cold mornings and look at the hundreds of these birds standing there piled up shoulder to shoulder.

By Bad Hair Day … Nope …

Jordan Lake: I am always happy when I can share with you how a bird got its name. In this case, you can see the crests that give the double-crested cormorant its name. The feather crests are only visible during breeding season and the eyes turn a very brilliant blue. I must say I was tempted to comment about the cormorant having a bad hair day…

By Smile!

Jordan Lake Dam, Haw River: I do believe this double-crested cormorant was smiling! This is not the usual flight orientation that I get to shoot. This youngster came up off the river, banked gently, glanced at me and turned right back to the river, and back to his fishing in the riprap.

By Sprung!

Jordan Lake, Haw River: The double-crested cormorants had been half-dozing in the somewhat warmer afternoon sunshine.  Then, I swear, someone had to have said: Three…Two…One…Launch and the cormorants went sprung!