Cool! That's so great. Beautiful stuff.

Cormorants have moved into the "North Coast" Great Lakes area of the U.S. and the wildlife departments are killing them literally by the thousands, I guess (ostensibly) because they're an invasive non-native species, but probably out of pressure from the fishing industry.

I remember how jealous I was seeing cormorants around Toronto and wishing we had them here.

Enjoy your natural beauty!

EJ, I was in Monterey, California, this weekend, and there were thousands of cormorants nesting on the jetty. Some had adolescents, some had nestlings, and some were on eggs. The cormorants lay at least a year because too many get picked off by gulls. In fact, while I was watching them, a gull carried off a baby. Stupid gulls. Why don't they just stick to eating hot dog buns out of trash cans?

Anyway, here's a picture. There were three babies in the nest, and the bird on the far right is a fledgling who doesn't appear to have flight feathers yet.

Wish I could have seen the coot baby.

≡ Click to see image ≡

I'm not sure I realized coots were actual animals.

The cormorants lay at least a year...

Make that: The cormorants lay at least three clutches a year

Duh. Stupid mudpuppie. Why doesn't she stick to eating hot dog buns out of trash cans?

I'm not sure I realized coots were actual animals.

They're not the prettiest of birds, but they have a lot of character.

Cooties!

Coolness! We've been watching a mom & dad sharpshin hawk teach the little ones to fly. fledge? whatever the word is I dunno. Hand me that hotdog bun, 'pupp.

Aww that's awesome. I'd definitely get all warm and fuzzy inside if I saw that.

TThe common cormorant (or shag)
Lays eggs inside a paper bag,
You follow the idea, no doubt?
It's to keep the lightning out.

But what these unobservant birds
Have never thought of, is that herds
Of wandering bears might come with buns
And steal the bags to hold the crumbs.

-- Christopher Isherwood