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West Park young cormorant: catching a fish

West Park young cormorant: catching a fish

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 …