The Strange Feeding Ritual of the Cormorant - A Series of Wild Bird Photographs

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As photographer, you are sometimes privileged to witness what few people ever witness. This is because you can zoom in with your massive lens (if you are lucky enough to have one) or because you are literally predisposed to witness it: you do the trouble to visit these places, to stand still, and look. Some people do not have the patience to wait, as they want instant gratification and because they do not want to do the work. That is why some people are photographers and others not.

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Recently, I witnessed the most strange yet beautiful moment when a cormorant parent fed their child. Or so I think - the animal kingdom can be strange. But if it was like we saw it, the mother bird fed her child. And it was something I have never seen in my life. I was lucky to have watched through my viewfinder at the right moment, pressing the shutter button, and gettin them in focus. It was a strange and beautiful moment that I only really began appreciating when I looked at the photographs.

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The mother bird, from what it looks like, literally sticks her head down into the mouth of the baby bird. The baby bird, though, is almost just as big as the mother bird. It almost looks like the bigger bird wants to get inside of the smaller bird...

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As soon as I saw the feeding happened, it was almost like all of the birds began feeding their babies at the same time. I took way too many photographs of this strange event. But here I share the best captures.

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As we walked, we saw different species of cormorants. The sad reality is that even though there are so many of them here, some of these species are endangered.

It is the third day of me writing about these endangered birds, so it really begins to affect one if you think too much about it.

I wish I could do something as an individual to make the situation better, but we all know the struggle of the individual against the collective.

We are witness to the destruction, but also the beauty.

If enough of us will realise that the collective have power. Then, maybe then, we will be able to do something.

For now, it is up to the artists and the poets to make loud noises so that the general public might awaken...

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The nests were around the corner where the feeding took place. So many nests were built right on the cliff face. So many mother birds sat on the nests, protecting their eggs.

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In the end, we witnessed something special, and I was so privileged to have been on the right spot at the right time. These are rare moments only some will ever see.

I hope that you enjoyed this series of photographs.

For now, happy photographing, and keep well.

All of the musings and writings are my own. The photographs are my own, taken with my Nikon D300 and Tamron 300mm zoom lens.