Cormorant

CORMORANT

What is the difference between a Cormorant and an Anhinga?
The tip of the upper beak is a hook in a cormorant, the beak is straight in the anhinga.

The cormorant has a blue eye and the anhinga brown eyes.

Cormorants are medium-to-large birds, with body weight in the range of 1–11 lb and wing span of 1 1/2 to 3 feet. The majority of species have dark feathers. The bill is long, thin and hooked. Their feet have webbing between all four toes. All species are fish-eaters, catching the prey by diving from the surface. They are excellent divers, and under water they propel themselves with their feet with help from their wings; some cormorant species have been found to dive as deep as 150 ft. They have relatively short wings due to their need for economical movement underwater, and consequently have the highest flight costs of any flying bird.

On July 14, 2020 I was paddling my kayak and a cormorant popped up beside me, I will call him Happy. He was within a foot of my kayak!! I was surprised, but it had happened before. This time however, Happy submerged, stayed down for 30 seconds, and came up by my kayak again! Happy did that at least 10 times during the next ten minutes while I paddled about an eighth mile. One time I even touched his back inadvertently with my paddle he was so close.
Then Happy flew away. within two minutes, Happy was back! During the next 10 minutes he dove and came up either to my port or starboard side, again and again, as I paddled back toward home. Sometimes he came up behind me and croaked, but he kept up with me!! It started to rain so he flew off. 
I do not know if he wanted to use the shadow of my kayak to scare up fish, but he did not catch any. 
The next day he did not show up. I think that that was a once in a lifetime experience. 

2. The cormorant with that beautiful blue eye and hooked beak.

3. Using its wings to steady itself.

4. Happy as he came up in front of my kayak,  note the water on his back that came pouring off as he rose.

5. Happy right in front of me.

6. Happy as it started to rain,  shook his wings and started off.

7. After a few beats Happy was airborne.

8. A male cormorant telling a female that  this was his perch and she was to go away!

9. A look at another cormorant taking off,  they are quite chunky to be able to fly.

10. A floating barrier is a perfect perch for cormorants and anhingas to watch the manatees swim by.

11. Are you looking at me?

12. Posing.

13. Posing for me. “Which side do you like?”

14. This feather came loose, what should I do with it?

15. Caught dinner.

16. Quite wet.

17. Another pose.

18. Dinner is any fish caught!

19. Catfish anyone?

20. And down the hatch.

21. Just waking up in the morning.

22. A big yawn.

23. A super shot.

24. Early on a rainy morning.

25. It was sprinkling but I took a chance..

26. Almost a sepia quality, the rain opened up after this.

27. In flight.

28. Almost airborne, sitting on a white pile cap.

29. Sitting pretty.

30. A portrait.

31. A pair, a third was nearby.

32. They look like a tank in the air.

33. Comfortable on their perches.

34. But an osprey landed just above them! The male on the left is protesting .. he was grabbing a leaf – “This is our area, not yours.” it seemed to be saying.

35. Then he squawked in protest.

36. “See, all the way over to here, that is MINE”.

34.  But he had to admit, the osprey (on the left) was going to ignore him.

34.  Fishing in the morning.

35.  Water drops.

36.  More water drops at dawn.