Carnoustie Cormorant

This young cormorant is sitting on a pole used to moor boats in a natural harbour at Carnoustie.

It was the first sight on a good walk along the coast from Carnoustie to Arbroath. There was a cold wind, but fortunately it was behind us.

I like the poem by Christopher Isherwood, first told to me by my father-in-law, so I suppose he must have liked it too. I know it is about the shag and this is a cormorant, but since it's nonsense anyway it might apply to both.

The common cormorant or shag
Lays eggs inside a paper bag
The reason you will see no doubt
It is to keep the lightning out
But what these unobservant birds
Have never noticed is that herds
Of wandering bears may come with buns
And steal the bags to hold the crumbs.