These photos aren't particularly good. They were taken this morning at Tower Bridge in London, in light drizzle and from much too far away. However, they're my first shots of a cormorant actually catching a fish. Problem was, the fish was somewhat wider than the cormorant's throat. I watched the struggle for about 5 minutes. Lots of head throwing by the bird, flapping by the fish, the occasional dunking and a gradual drift down the Thames of about 100 yards. At which point I had to leave them to it to get to a meeting. Anyway, three not very good shots coming up.
Catching
The fish, by the way, is possibly a flounder.
Camera note: all shots taken with the EF70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM lens, at ISO 800, f/5.6 and shutter speeds of between 1/125 and 1/200s. All shots have been cropped.
Ukwildlife
13 Jan 2009Great photos. The weather may not have been perfect but at least you didn't suffer from over exposure (at least on the in the photos!).
I was admiring the cormorants of the Thames today, those perched near Battersea power station in my case. I would say its a flounder, although I was reading something about "cormorants catching dabs near Tower Bridge" the other day…I'll try and remember where!
gdare
13 Jan 2009That chain looks impressive to me :left:
cakkleberrylane
13 Jan 2009Very well done nonetheless. I've never watched one catch a fish before so this is quite a treat.
SittingFox
13 Jan 2009Greedy cormorant! Talk about biting off more than you can chew… :chef:
Words
13 Jan 2009Neil, I think they must have seen your video and were showing off. Weather was dire though… absolutely pouring by lunchtime. The fish could be a dab… I'm just going from what the experts on WAB think.
Words
13 Jan 2009Lois, what's really amazing is that when I was young there weren't any fish in the Thames (certainly not in central London). They've done a great job in cleaning up the river.
Words
13 Jan 2009Adele, I assume it will have eventually managed to swallow it, but I saw maybe 20 attempts without any success. I'd have loved to have watched for longer.
Words
13 Jan 2009Darko, it's good isn't it. 🙂
annoushkiss
13 Jan 2009But it's very good :up:
We can see all the eating process, and these are not just ordinary shots!
Flying Red Fox Blog
13 Jan 2009Thats a good catch! 😀 It dosent matter if the quality is poorer, it shows that this was a lucky catch and not something you were necessarily waiting for, well done!
Words
13 Jan 2009Anna. thanks!
Words
13 Jan 2009Mark, well I'm not sure it was lucky for the fish 😆 But it shows the value of always having a camera with you.
Vulpes vulpes
21 Jan 2009I'd say after that experience with the cormorant that the fish most certainly was floundering! :p
Words
21 Jan 2009LOL! You're a dab hand at the jokes 😉
anonymous
3 Feb 2009Froggy1 writes:
As a sea angler the fish is a Flounder which have a liking for brakish water & will swim way up river. Dabs are a true marine fish & will not venture too far from salt water.
Words
3 Feb 2009Thanks Froggy!