The cormorant flapped its wings on and off for four minutes or so, then relaxed them and started scanning the water more keenly. Another minute or so scanning, then off it dived again. This time it came up without a trophy.
Back on the perch again, then diving again after only a brief pause. Once again, surfacing without prey. It swam around, diving a couple more times with the same result. As we left, it was still swimming in the same area.
An inconspicuous weed growing at the base of one of the roadside trees, its white feathers even smaller and less conspicuous. It was common whitlowgrass (Draba verna), presumably another of the plants once thought to have medicinal properties. Whitlows are painful infections of fingertips.
Now the cormorant has had a fish, it needs to dry its feathers. So it’s time to get back to standing out of the water, on the fallen bough again. Spread the wings out and flap them slowly to expose all the feathers to the breeze. Shuffle round to face a different direction. That airs the plumage more evenly, and lets the bird watch out for any signs of fresh fish. Soon the feathers will be dry enough, time for the hunt to resume.
To be continued …
Flowers and flower buds on a Japanese quince shrub. Getting in really close emphasises just how vivid the red of the scarlet petals is.
The cormorant which is sometimes visiting West Park lake, busy fishing.
It perches on a fallen bough, carefully watching the water for a fish it thinks it can catch. At the same time, it keeps a wary eye out to check that I am not a threat. But the focus is on scanning the water for a potential victim.
Prey spotted, and it’s off, under the water before I can catch it moving. Up it bobs again, a large fish grasped in its beak.
The neck twists, thrashing the fish, which is dropped in the water once or twice. Finally, the bird gets hold in what is possibly just the way it wants, and the fish is swallowed whole. It disappeared down a neck which looked narrow than it was.
Now the cormorant swam up and down a short stretch of water by the bough which had formed its perch.
To be continued …
Flower buds beginning to open on another garden camelia. This time it’s a bush with pink flowers.