Cormorants In The Creek

The matte-black, prehistoric-looking Double-crested Cormorant sports yellow/orange facial skin at the base of their beak and is one of those birds that people don’t give much time to.

Double-crested Cormorant

Many don’t realize the Double-crested Cormorant possesses a gorgeous teal eye when the sunlight hits it just right.

Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorants visit Cambridge Creek daily. Even with the past displeasure of Osprey Bella & Beau.

Double-crested Cormorant

The Cormorant’s landing is always a fun challenge to try to capture.

They skid in for a long time!

The fishing must be good here in the creek, they come here and dive time after time.

Another look at that beautiful teal eye….

Double-crested Cormorant

“Oops, sorry, ya’ll!”

From morning until sunset, they hunt the waters.

Double-crested Cormorant at sunset

And when the sun goes down, the Double-crested Cormorant may stay and find a perch to drip and dry off, in his “I’m Batman” stance.

Double-crested Cormorant’s “I’m Batman” drying stance

I enjoy and have a lot of fun with Double-crested Cormorants. 🙂

Tags: cambridge creek, Chesapeake Bay, cormorant, dive, double-crested cormorant, Eastern Shore, flight, image, images, landing, Maryland, nature, photo, photograph, photographs, photography, photos, reflection, wildlife

47 thoughts on “Cormorants In The Creek”

cindy knoke on 09/15/2018 at 7:38 AM said:

Fabulous photos.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 7:42 AM said:
  
  Thank you, Cindy!
  
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Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography on 09/15/2018 at 7:44 AM said:

Great series. Most people just look past them.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 9:05 AM said:
  
  Thank you, Ted! They do.
  
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Susan Hale on 09/15/2018 at 8:28 AM said:

Great pictures, Donna! I know the cormorants are always around, but I seem to notice them more toward the end of summer. Maybe it’s just because before that I am mostly focused on the ospreys. I recently photographed a cormorant taking off, and it left a trail much the reverse of your ‘landing’ series. Definitely a fun thing to witness and photograph! Thanks for sharing!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 9:07 AM said:
  
  Thank you, Susan! I’ve done some take-off bursts too, and they love to hug that water for a long period either way, lol. Are any of your Osprey still around? I saw Beau and one OTeen yesterday afternoon on our tower.
  
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Jet Eliot on 09/15/2018 at 8:59 AM said:

Thanks so much for this peaceful observation of the incredible cormorant, Donna. Your photos, as ever, are a true pleasure.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 9:16 AM said:
  
  Thank you, Jet, they are a quiet, peaceful, keep-to-themselves bird, fun to watch. 🙂
  
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John on 09/15/2018 at 9:45 AM said:

Amazing bird, they can fly yet dive underwater too. They float very low, as though they are sinking. ❤️

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 10:55 AM said:
  
  They are the ‘low-riders’ of the waters. hee hee 🙂
  
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  - John on 09/15/2018 at 12:28 PM said:
    
    I here an echo of War in your voice. 😎😉
  - bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 3:11 PM said:
    
    Don’t think I’ve ever mentioned ‘this’ on my nine years blogging, I had a harley back in the day. 😎 😊
  - John on 09/15/2018 at 4:13 PM said:
    
    Your love Hogs too! I meant the old rock band War by the way. Or did I misread you? Duh!
  - bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 8:04 PM said:
    
    No misread, just added info, haha
Eliza Waters on 09/15/2018 at 11:58 AM said:

Great series, Donna. The landing position looks like chair pose in yoga. 😉 Love the sunset ripples shot!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 3:08 PM said:
  
  Thank you, Eliza! I should take note of the Cormorant’s yoga position, I’ve always wanted to learn yoga! 🙂
  
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  - Eliza Waters on 09/16/2018 at 11:16 AM said:
    
    I highly recommend a good gentle yoga practice. It has made the difference in my ability to garden, improves balance and overall health, physical and mental. It took a few tries to find an instructor I liked, but once I did, I was hooked. The perfect anti-aging (!) regimen.
Lisa Rest on 09/15/2018 at 12:36 PM said:

Great action shots, Donna! I love the DC Cormorants and have even more appreciation for them wondering how long somebody had to study them to ever see the double crest which I’ve only seen (very briefly) twice…

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 3:12 PM said:
  
  Thank you Lisa! I, too, have only briefly seen their double-crest. Yes, that is a lot of study to have seen and noted. 🙂
  
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quietsolopursuits on 09/15/2018 at 1:02 PM said:

Cormorants are one of my favorite birds to watch because of their behavior, which your photos show so well!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 3:14 PM said:
  
  Thank you, Jerry! They are very entertaining, I’ve been watching them all summer from my balcony. Tried to show ‘just a few’ for this post. 🙂
  
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H.J. for avian101 on 09/15/2018 at 2:30 PM said:

These birds are versatile divers as well as flyers. They too are great subjects for photographs. I like them best when they dry their wings feathers. Real cool! Good post Donna! 🙂

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 3:16 PM said:
  
  Thank you, HJ! I gotten some previous shots of them completely dry, wings spread, just soaking up the sun too! They haven’t done that much here around the creek, mostly because there’s not too many ‘safe-feeling’ spots to perch, as skittish as they are. 🙂
  
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Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog on 09/15/2018 at 4:19 PM said:

Wonderful shots of another marvelous species! 🙂

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 8:04 PM said:
  
  Thank you, Tom!
  
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tootlepedal on 09/15/2018 at 4:57 PM said:

I like cormorants so I was pleased that you had so many excellent shots of them for your readers today.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 8:06 PM said:
  
  Thank you, Tom, they are an interesting bird!
  
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aussiebirder on 09/15/2018 at 6:23 PM said:

Great landing shots Donna. Your Double-crested Cormorant looks very like our Little Black Cormorant. How does it get its name ‘Double-crested’? It is amazing how low in the water they swim, we have several ducks with similar tails that do the same and lie low in the water, but never come to shore, they live and sleep on the water. Again you have an amazing collection of images, so blessed to be living so close to the water:-) Have an enjoyable weekend my friend!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/15/2018 at 8:13 PM said:
  
  Thank you Ashley! The Cormorant’s double crest is only visible on adults during breeding season. I’ve seen it a couple times but never got a chance to photograph it. It’s like a hidden secret, lol. I am a water bird lover for sure! We are blessed to be given the chance to live by the water during this time in our lives. Have a wonderful Sunday my friend!
  
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tanjabrittonwriter on 09/15/2018 at 9:03 PM said:

I also enjoy cormorants, Donna. Recently I observed one of them take a very thorough bath-diving, splashing, dipping and shaking its wings, and all while making the funniest sounds. You really captured their beautiful eyes!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/16/2018 at 8:12 AM said:
  
  Thank you, Tanja, they are entertaining if they don’t know you’re watching them. It is always endearing to see a bird take a bath and enjoy it!! 🙂
  
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thelocalsandbeyondii on 09/16/2018 at 2:15 AM said:

Lovely shots. Are your cormorants as skittish as the little cormorants around here (South-East Queensland, Australia)? You just have to look at them sideways and they’re off.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/16/2018 at 8:14 AM said:
  
  Thank you! Yes, ours are quite skittish too. Even with me being three-stories up on my balcony, if they see me photographing them, they will dive and pop up much, much further from me or just take off as well.
  
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blhphotoblog on 09/16/2018 at 10:38 AM said:

Great set again Donna.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/16/2018 at 10:44 AM said:
  
  Thank you, Brian!
  
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Ellen Jennings on 09/16/2018 at 4:11 PM said:

Nice sets of the Cormorant’s action, Donna! I especially liked the tail up dive. They are another fun bird to watch.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/17/2018 at 9:20 AM said:
  
  Thank you, Ellen!
  
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Jane's Heartsong on 09/16/2018 at 11:25 PM said:

I like that green eye against the orange skin, can’t say that is the most graceful-looking landing. I like their grunting sounds, too. Happy you still have some fun at the water. Hope the family is okay with the winds as they go south.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/17/2018 at 9:23 AM said:
  
  Cormorants are awkward looking, they make their landings that way too, lol.
  
  I’m hoping our B&B and chicks are doing okay too. 🙂
  
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centralohionature on 09/17/2018 at 3:54 AM said:

Very nice study of an often taken for granted bird.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/17/2018 at 9:24 AM said:
  
  Thank you!
  
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circadianreflections on 09/18/2018 at 10:16 AM said:

I love their jewel toned eyes. You made so many fun and lovely images of them!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/19/2018 at 8:21 PM said:
  
  Thank you, Deborah!
  
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  - circadianreflections on 09/19/2018 at 9:39 PM said:
    
    You’re welcome! xx
Rolling Harbour on 09/21/2018 at 8:18 AM said:

I’m with everyone else above – terrific shots! Love cormorants and their emerald eyes… except (with my fisherman’s hat on) when they are 30 miles inland getting easy pickings from the river…

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- bayphotosbydonna on 09/21/2018 at 1:18 PM said:
  
  Thank you, RH! Yes, not too cool to sit and wait for a nibble and watch the birds get the catches! 😉
  
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Gunta on 09/22/2018 at 3:59 PM said:

We tend to have more of the other kind of cormorant around here and for some reason my birder buddy isn’t fond of them. I’m not always sure of telling them apart. But your images show them off very well. I LOVE your goofy landing shots and the one with just the tail showing made me laugh out loud! Perhaps now I’ll have a better chance at sorting these guys out. I suspect that the double-crested has a shorter, fatter neck. I suppose I could google, but way too much catching up to do at the moment.

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