Birds and More Birds

Another variation on the cormorant family: I just happened to be standing there when the male zoomed in with some food for mom. She gobbled it down, although I'm sure she won't be allowed to keep it for long. For just a couple minutes there were two adult birds and three fuzzy babies sitting on that one precarious perch, and then he was off, flying low to the water and way off into the fog, hopefully to bring more treats back home.

The Extra: the babies are up from their nap (I told you to be quiet!!) and are looking for a meal of their own. The third fuzzy little head is visible just behind mom.

Sorry if I'm cormorant obsessed--it's just magical to me to be able to watch this whole process.

We decided to be on vacation this afternoon, so we got a sandwich at the health food store and headed over to the cliffs to sit and watch the ocean on another stunning warm day. By sheer luck we got a bench with a perfect view of a herd of birds feeding in the little bay: pelicans, cormorants and gulls, diving and flapping and carrying on. Their numbers changed by the minute, with flocks arriving but only a few departing. Pretty much the pelicans stayed together and the more numerous cormorants bunched up some feet away, then scattered like disturbed ants, came back together, drifted apart. You could hear their chatter, and the sound of their wings.