Everything is Permuted

Tales of a South Downs fox... and other ramblings

Cormorant at Falmer Pond

Monday, August 8, 2011 9:43:20 PM

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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.



Nature Blog Network
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.

Cinnabar caterpillarCormorant at Falmer (photo special)

Comments

NeilUkwildlife Monday, August 8, 2011 9:47:05 PM

Nice shots

Words Monday, August 8, 2011 9:52:04 PM

Neil, thanks!

RobinRobinL Monday, August 8, 2011 10:00:53 PM

Words, I agree, great shots!

Words Monday, August 8, 2011 10:19:12 PM

Robin, thanks!

ERWINWulpen Tuesday, August 9, 2011 2:54:01 PM

Nice Photos

Words Tuesday, August 9, 2011 8:12:42 PM

Thanks Erwin! I got more shots of the cormorant today. And this time it caught a fish wink

Adele BrandSittingFox Sunday, August 14, 2011 6:21:31 PM

up Such strange birds.

der WandersmannderWandersmann Sunday, August 14, 2011 6:57:07 PM

I'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.

Words Sunday, August 14, 2011 9:12:22 PM

Adele, 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 Sunday, August 14, 2011 9:13:43 PM

SW, 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.

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