I'd heard rumours that they sometimes came down to the pond, but I don't recall seeing one here before. It was lunchtime when I saw it, a large cormorant paying no regard whatsoever to the 'No Fishing' sign, though I didn't witness a 'catch'. Here's a few of the photos.
There were of course other birds to see, including the latest clutch of ducklings.
The house martins are still busy at the nest.
Camera note: the first three shots were taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. Everything else was taken with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.
Words
8 Aug 2011Neil, thanks!
Ukwildlife
8 Aug 2011Nice shots
Words
8 Aug 2011Robin, thanks!
RobinL
8 Aug 2011Words, I agree, great shots!
Words
9 Aug 2011Thanks Erwin! I got more shots of the cormorant today. And this time it caught a fish 😉
derWandersmann
14 Aug 2011I've seen catches, and the chases before them. If the water is sufficiently clear, you can watch a school of fish fleeing from the cormorant, which is chasing them under water … and catching up to them, too. They are very fast, and usually will surface with a fish, which they proceed to flip around 'til it's ready to go in headfirst, then they swallow it. If the fish is if any size at all, it makes a big bulge in the neck and you can hear it rasping in the throat as it goes down.
Then the cormorant starts looking for another.
SittingFox
14 Aug 2011:up: Such strange birds.
Words
14 Aug 2011Adele, this one is just a feeding machine at the moment. It's only company seems to be the local heron, but not another cormorant in sight.
Words
14 Aug 2011SW, thanks for that extra information. I've seen this one catch several fish and seen the neck bulge. I've not heard the 'rasp' though. The water here is too cloudy to see the fish.
Wulpen
19 Oct 2012Nice Photos