I know what you’re thinking, No I didn’t turn my camera upside down. The best part about working with critters is you never know what they’ll do next. Those fleeting moments where they do something you weren’t expecting is often times when we are able to connect with the subject the best. It’s because we as humans are always trying to humanize what we see, so when a critter does something that makes us laugh, we connect with it.
Double Crested Cormorant’s are the most widespread out of the six species of Cormorant living in North America. They can be found along both coasts and many inland bodies of water. A Cormorants main diet is fish. They are great at catching small fish with their serrated bill. They have a natural oil in their feathers that keeps them warm and dry when they submerge underwater. However, they have to spend a lot of time preening and sunbathing in order to keep their feathers in good shape. As a result of this behavior they can often be seen on old posts. Their behavior can be quite comical during this preening time. This particular male spent a lot of time preening before scratching himself. Apparently he had one heck of an itch on his neck. That simple head gesture when he scratched made all of us laugh and that was all it took for us to connect.
Image Captured with Nikon D5, 600 f/4, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film