This cormorant seems to have caught,
more than he can swallow!
His mother obviously never taught him, not to gulp his food.
The Snowy Egrets,
also seem to bite off more than they can chew,
but there is lots of determination,
to eat what you catch,
no matter how hard it is,
to swallow!
😂 chewing is the secret but do these birds have teeth?
They don’t, poor things. They have to gulp it down fast before someone else steals it!
Amazing pics Cindy – how do you get that close to these birds (I have photographed both cormorants and egrets, the former plentifully, in my time, but have never been able to get really close to them)? My camera has a powrful zoom lens which is quite good at overcoming distance, but these shots are sensational.
Ahhh, honored, and so kind of you Thomas. Thank you. I have an inner magnet towards birds. I stand really still and quiet, and always have my camera glued to my face, so I think they get confused and think I may not be human.
I’m always happy to see a catch well-used with nothing going to waste!
They are the epitome of eat what you kill, only for survival. We could learn from them~
I enjoyed these photos.
I am so glad you did and thank you for telling me~
YUM …. then down the hatch. Great catch by all!
I was impressed by the variety of catches, octopus, shrimp, some odd gilled fish…..
How much time was involved (that is, you waiting)? …. then again, these could be from different times.
Yes, you can see in this post which photos were taken of the same bird by the same food being consumed, but the third cormorant for example, is not the same bird as the first two. When I post birds, I try and look at all the photos I have of a particular species and the story evolves from that. My brain is somehow wired towards birds and I am always noticing them, even when driving. I think I am bird brained……
A toast to your love for birds. 🙂
<3 <3
That cormorant, in picture 3, sure looks happy about gourmandizing! I wonder if he’s still hungry? Very neat shots, Cindy!
Laughing…..I think he will be satiated for about 3 minutes. As long as it takes to fully swallow. Come to think of it, I am kinda like this too!
You….you gourmandizing cormorant, you!!! <3
Shrimp and chocolate are my besties <3
Your post is fit for a fine picture story book and not just for little children. A delight to go through your amazing photos of the greedy commorants and egrets, Cindy!
I am honored. Thank you very much Peter & cheers to you~
Fantastique photos Cindy.
Leslie
I am very happy you like them! Thank you <3
🙂
<3
They do look rather satisfied! Love the cormorant’s aqua-blue eyes!
It was quite amazing sailing from SoCal around the horn. I was able to photograph different cormorant subtypes from each ecosystem and their subtle changes as we headed further and further south. There are no cormorants in Antarctica, but in the Beagle Channel there are cormorants that look just like penguins.
Very cool… an epic trip!
<3 <3
I’ve watched great blue herons struggle to swallow fish they had caught many times. Their determination is incredible! They don’t give up on their food easily.
They probably would rather choke on it, then let another bird steal it from them!
I believe it!
🐟🐟
Great shots – always gorgeous to see them as close as you do them!
I was just admiring your gorgeous shots, so the admiration is mutual!
♥♥
Somehow they figure it out. Beautiful birds. I don’t think I’ve seen a photo of a cormorant so close before. Wonderful photos as always, Cindy.
Thank you! I have photos of three types of cormorants, the sub-types change as you travel further and further south~
That makes sense. These looked a little different from our northern fellows or those we had in VT.
<3
It looks like that fish got stuck in the cormorant’s throat – ouch!
Also, Cindy, just wanted to let you know that your last comment on my blog was posted as spam for some unknown reason. Sorry about that. Anyway, I fixed it.
Thanks Robert. That happens with WP I’ve noticed. I read an article by Sanjay Gupta today on CNN that made me think of you and some of our prior discussions. Check it out.
Amazing pictures Cindy ma’am!
The way you capture is seriously stunning 😍
Lovely to meet you & thank you!
Quite the buffet Cindy! Thank you for capturing the feasting for us 💛
Lucky birdies have shrimp and calamari just caught from the sea!
Beautiful photo’s Cindy.
Merci beaucoup mon ami!
Your photography is par-excellence Cindy…love it each time I visit!
Awww, that makes me feel so good! Thank you very much!
Absolutely amazing pictures!
Very happy you enjoyed them my friend & Happy weekend!
The joy of the big gulp! They all have a unique personality!
They definitely do and I have no idea how they breathe or fly after gulping down one of these critters!
Our last house was on a lake and we used to watch the egrets catch fish and eat them. Sometimes they were trying to swallow huge fish – it was painful to watch.
Yes! I have seen birds swallow fish the same size as they are, whole!
Very nice blog! I am glad I found your blog 👌
Thank you & lovely to meet you!
Same here 🙂
<3
No pelican here, Cindy, but I am reminded of the old rhyme, “What a wonderful bird is the pelican whose beak can hold more than his belly can.” –Curt
Laughing…….
https://cdn.xl.thumbs.canstockphoto.com/pelican-eats-fish-eps-vectors_csp34666730.jpg
I am very impressed with today’s photos, Cindy. The quality of the shots, as always, is magnificent. Congratulations!
Ahhhh, thank you so much my friend, most appreciated! <3
Stunning details, Cindy! I’m always surprised so much a bird can eat. 🙂
Yes and how it can swallow fish whole in one big gulp!
Wonderful photographs.
Muchas gracias amiga mia~ <3
These cute birds were enjoying their sushi/sashimi.. Yummy.
Yes they were! Lucky ducks and it was free! 🐟
You have been in a twitchers heaven Cindy. Beautiful photos
I actually had to google twitchers to find out what it meant. Now I will use it whenever possible whilst writing. I <3 my Britishisms!
I first heard this phrase when some American friends stayed with us who also went to O’Reillies for a 3 day bird safari. I think you are booked to go there… 🦅
Yes, we have reservations for O’Reilly’s. Here is what Wiki, who knows all, say about twitcher:
Twitching is a British term used to mean “the pursuit of a previously located rare bird.” In North America it is more often called chasing, though the British usage is starting to catch on there, especially among younger birders. The term twitcher, sometimes misapplied as a synonym for birder, is reserved for those who travel long distances to see a rare bird that would then be ticked, or counted on a list.[2][5] The term originated in the 1950s, when it was used for the nervous behaviour of Howard Medhurst, a British birdwatcher. Prior terms for those who chased rarities were pot-hunter, tally-hunter, or tick-hunter. The main goal of twitching is often to accumulate species on one’s lists. Some birders engage in competition to accumulate the longest species list. The act of the pursuit itself is referred to as a twitch or a chase. A rare bird that stays put long enough for people to see it is twitchable or chaseable
I actualy thought it was a general term as well. My friends were true twitchers as they had the list they ticked off and they were very excited to see the lyre bird in action in Lamington National park when they went to O’Reillies
I don’t keep lists, I just take photos, but I love the term anyway!
😍
Gorgeous birds
Healthy appetites too!
Whoa!
Hungry birdies!
so nice to capture this feeding – and I kinda wanted to clean that shrimp – lol
Laughing……..
🙂
I enjoyed your clicks. ☺
So happy you did~
Wow! Those are some fantastic photos. I’ve never seen anything like them. Wow!
Oh, you sweet person. Thank you <3
Superb. They would have been beautiful shots even without the gulping
So nice & so appreciated! Happy Saturday to you!
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
More beautiful bird pictures from Cindy Knokes’s travels.
Hugs to you sweet friend <3
Beautiful!
Muchas gracias!
Gorgeous pictures.
Very happy you enjoyed and have a wonderful weekend <3
Thanks for the smiles, Cindy. Once in Florida I saw a bird that looked a lot like the first one… swallow a fish that went down sideways (in a huge way). He finally seemed to get it down, but had me worried! Hugs on the wing!
Yes, it is amazing. I don’t know how they breathe or manage to fly when they eat something that seems bigger than they are!
Cindy how long have you been a photographer? And do you teach it? Your nature photography is pretty incredible.
Ahhhh, so kind and so appreciated. Thank you! My photography is a hobby that I picked up at the same time I started blogging which is somewhere around 6 years ago. Hugs to you sweet person & thank you too <3 <3
Cindy, you are reeeeeaaaallly good!!!! That is amazing, it was a talent laying dormant. Good for you!
And hugs in return. xoxo
Thank you my friend. It is a joy to know you. I bet we all have these hidden talents. We work, we focus on family and then we retire and have time to explore our creative selves. <3
Truth! <3
<3
It’s so funny to watch the kingfishers out my office window. They whack their trout on a branch then swallow it whole. Sometimes they swallow a fish nearly as large as they are while trying to avoid the magpies who also like fish.
Hilarious and I have seen exactly what you describe. One of my favorite photos is of a gull in Idaho capturing a trout that was bigger then he was, swallowing it so it distorted his neck grotesquely, and then flying off. If I didn’t have the photos, no one would believe me!
I believe it.
<3
Clever title and story. Thanks for the show Cindy!
You are most welcome Brad. It does make me hungry for scampi & calamari though….
LOL. Not me. 🙂
Laughing……
Fantastic “action” series, Cindy. Really fun to see how determined no matter what the size of their meal. Happy New Year!
They are kinda like Jonah swallowing the whale! They don’t know what impossible means.
Liebe Cindy danke für deine lieben Worte hab einen schönes Wochenende Klaus in Freundschaft
Frohe Wochenende mein lieber Freund Klaus! <3
Wonderful photos. Amazing that you were able to capture these creatures in the act of feeding. Years ago, while hiking in Santee Canal Park near Charleston, SC, I came upon an alligator gulping down a snake. It was chilling, like an eating machine. Unfortunately, I did not have a camera, so missed getting photos like the great ones you’ve displayed here. Thanks for sharing.
WOW! The photos would have been fascinating! Are you a Barton? That is my maiden name….
Greedy little buggers aren’t they? Nice captures.
Yes, but I am jealous of them because they eat incessantly and never get fat. I wish I could do this!
You and me both!
<3
Such nice details. I especially love the egrets against the blue strips of the railings.
You have an interesting eye to notice the stripes! Thank you.
Sehr schöne Aufnahmen Cindy…
Ich freue mich sehr, dass es dir gefallen hat und ich danke dir, mein Freund!
HaHa! Sorry, Cindy, but nothing these birds have caught looks very appetizing! To each his own, right?!!
One birds trash is another birds treasure! 😉
Great photos but they hit just a little bit too close to home! Hahahaha! 😆
Laughing…..Yes, sometimes I do catch myself doing this too! 😉
Cindy, what extraordinary photos. You never cease to amaze me.
You are lovely to say this. Thank you so much & have a wonderful week!
Thank you, Cindy! You too.
<3 <3
Egr8 post as always, my friend!.゚☆(ノё∀ё)ノ☆゚.
https://img0.etsystatic.com/164/0/9830689/il_340x270.1178342926_ne8m.jpg
Too cute! (*˘︶˘*).。.:*♡
<3
Your shots are incredible. It’s like I’m standing there and watching those birds. Thank you and greetings.
How wonderful of you to say! Makes me happy I posted them & thank you~ <3
Fantastic, Cindy. Completely love these. RH
So happy you do and thank you too! <3
So many details! Beautiful Cindy!
Very happy you enjoyed & thanks for letting me know!
Gorgeous pictures, Cindy and very amusing commentary.
Thank you Robbie. They were pretty hilarious to watch, so I am happy I was able to communicate that!
Beautiful clicks!
Muchas gracias mi amigo!
So beautiful!
Yay! Thanks much & cheers~
These pictures are fascinating, Cindy. Well done.
Thanks so much Cynthia & cheers to you my friend <3
Yikes Cindy–this makes me glad we get to eat people food!! And– we have cormorants and egrets in our parks here. Did you take these photos close to home?? It’s amazing the action you were able to get into your photos!! love it.
Thanks much Rhonda! These were taken on the trip. I hope you and your family recover quickly from the flu. Sending healing hopes to you <3
I love cormorants and egrets. There are both types of birds where I live on the SE coast of the UK. Those are brilliant shots of them fishing. My camera’s shutterspeed would never accommodate such grand shots, quite apart from the fact I don’t have telescopic lens, but have to depend upon a zoom lens which doesn’t produce the same clarity.
It is wonderful to experience familiar birds all over the planet, and as you mention, these birds are almost ubiquitous everywhere I go. It doesn’t stop me from fully enjoying watching them where ever I am. Thank you for your kind words Sarah and be well my friend <3
Great captures, Cindy! The Cormorants (and Anhingas) are masters of swallowing huge fish…gulp 🙂
Gulls can do it too! Quite remarkable that they can breathe and fly whilst accomplishing this~
So much to not only see and enjoy but also learn. Thank you Cindy for your amazing posts.
Thank you more for your kind appreciation <3
Great shots, dear Cindy.
Blessings for 2018 ~ Wendy
Back at you x2! <3
Amazing! I can’t stop studying their eyes and feet. I find them inspiring…!
How wonderful! Thank you for telling me & cheers to you~
Reblogged this on LIVING THE DREAM.
Ein gesundes neues Jahr wünscht dir Ernst
Frohe neues Jahr mein lieber Freund Ernst <3
So kind an so appreciated <3
Ich schätze und freue mich jedes mal auf ihre neuen und wunderbaren Bilder-Beiträge, meine Freundin <3
Vielen dank lieber Ernst! <3