Underside and topside, close and not so close.
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Cormorants aren’t the most nimble of flyers so when they take off from the water they gain elevation slowly. As a result, at this pond which is partially lined with trees, they tend to circle around the pond at least once before heading off to their destination. Doing so helps them to avoid some of the trees and that’s an advantage for me as a photographer. It gives me several chances with the bird in good light and because they’re circling, they’re banking, which provides more interesting flight postures.
Four days ago that’s exactly what this cormorant was doing – banking while circling the pond before leaving the area. The bird wasn’t very close (this is a large crop) but I got some of the trees in the background, I like its flight posture in good light and the cormorant is sharp.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Only seconds earlier this cormorant was doing the same thing, except it was circling clockwise rather than counterclockwise. I have better detail because this one was closer but the bird is a little tight in the frame and already past me so we don’t have a great look at that colorful eye.
With these back-to-back takeoffs only seconds apart, and the birds circling in different directions, I was really dancing around my tripod. This old man with a bad back trying to get used to a new camera was pleased with the results.
Ron
Lovely!!!!
Thanks, Arwen.
My feet would not be touching the ground if I had achieved either of these shots and gravity would have no dominion.
EC, after my pandemic weight gain my feet are ALWAYS touching the ground!
Great images Ron.
Thanks, April.
In addition to bronze the greenish tinge is very apparent in your photos. I’ve just started reading David Sibley’s “What It’s Like To Be A Bird”, in which he says there is no green pigment in North American birds, so iridescence it must be. He also has the clearest explanation I’ve read of their how their feathers work when diving and how they see underwater.
Sounds like an interesting book, Lyle. I’ll have to look for it.
“This old man… ” As well he should be!
😊
Excellent results Ron. Love watching these crazy fisherman do their thing. We have lots of them here. They always know what lake has most recently been stocked and they are quickly there.
So you are out of the truck working with a tripod. Are you doing this because it is easier to master the new camera as opposed to shooting from the truck?
Everett, I was shooting from my tripod for two reasons: I can’t shoot from my truck at most places around the pond and in the mornings I have to hike to a place on the shore to have good light. I’d be wasting my time without a good light angle.
I’ll echo what Michael said—I love seeing the results of your daily “dance”, and
admire that you’re still doing it, even though it costs you, physically,– your
spirit and intellect are keeping excellent time, and they in turn surely help
encourage your body to keep on performing…….
What a nice comment, Kris. Thank you.
Here in Rhode Island these birds have become a real pest. They perch on rocks to dry their wings and turn the rock white with their poop. On the salt water cove that I live on they have wiped out the entire population of eels and ground fish such a s flounder. Now that the River Herring are arriving they will be gorging on them before they get to lay their eggs and having a profound effect on future generations of that species.
Gary, lots of folks aren’t fond of cormorants and in those situations fish are nearly always involved.
Well done! 🙂 Dancing with a tripod is not much fun even when younger – glad it was worth it! Nice of the cormorant to cooperate…. 🙂
Having a look at your site is one of the first things I do in the morning before the sun comes up. It is among my predawn rituals that make for a good start to a day. It’s always a pleasure.
May you and your tripod dance on for many years.
I am with Michael here. It is my predawn ritual too – and something I look forward to immensely.
Dance on, and hear the applause.
I understand those predawn rituals all too well, Michael. I have a bunch of them and if circumstances mess with them it really puts me out of whack – especially before I’ve had my coffee.
Thank you for the kind words and good wishes.
Reading this makes me 🙂 as I imagine you dancing around the tripod. Sounds like you had a wonderful day out photographing nature!
If you can call what I was doing “dancing”, Duane.
But trying to avoid those tripod legs while you’re circling around it in two different directions made me do a pretty fancy jig.
Cormorants may not be nimble flyers, but you are a nimble photographer! 🙂
Ha, ‘nimble’ is relative Marty. But given how stove up I feel I didn’t do too badly.