While walking along the boardwalk I came across these two Cormorants. Cormorants in the wetlands seem to be used to people, and will hang out on the boardwalk allowing you to get pretty close to them. Of course, you always get the person who thinks it is fun to touch and intimadate them, but overall people are very respectful of their space.

I am now pretty close up to these two and they have not moved. I tend to take one step at a time and wait to gauge for reaction.

Clearly bored with me this Cormorant decided it was going to snooze, so I moved on between the two and photographed it’s buddy. A lady walked passed and she said to me there is a Cormorant behind you. My answer “Yes I know but it is sleeping”

This Cormorant was busy grooming itself when I moved between the two. It continued almost oblivious of me once it gave me the sideways look.

I love how it’s eyes are closed while it is grooming itself.

And the grooming continued without it feeling threatened by me.

Aren’t these feet stunning. I love the silver effect of their legs.

Two women walked up and stopped and decided to take a photo of it, and then decided it would be really neat to touch the bird, and proceeded to pull on it’s tail feathers. It was not happy and started to move away. Of course, they followed. I finally asked them to please stop harassing the bird.

I then got the “I am not happy” look.

Seriously troubled, the Cormorant was a little stressed out.  However, to note one of the most beautiful things about the Cormorant is its stunning turquoise eyes.

Clearly the Cormorant was not happy and so I decided to head on a bit further to see if I could see the Screech Owl. I did not, so I turned back and walked back towards the Cormorant.

On my way back I noticed that the Cormorant was in the water but I was totally unprepared for it to take off out of the water.  I totally missed this shot.

I was definitely not ready for this image either but I love all the water drops coming off the wings so I decided to share it.

I did not have time to adjust my setting so I just went with the flow and hoped that I could salvage in Photoshop.  Time to flap some more and get the water off

I love that I managed to capture the water drops floating in the air while the cormorant was flapping it’s wings.

The hazards of fishing in the wetlands – weeds stuck in your bill.

Meanwhile through all of this activity, the other Cormorant is still sleeping. Must have been a tiring day.

Say What? Did I miss something. This is one sleepy Cormorant.