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Feeding Melee


Feeding Melee
Photo Information
Copyright: James Parker (Jamesp) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1351 W: 0 N: 5494] (16524)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-30
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds MkII, Canon EF 300mm f2.8 USM IS
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/800 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-07-05 7:55
Viewed: 767
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I am posting this shot just to give people an idea of what the delta is like. This is a very small part of a massive flock of cormorants that descended on the channel we were cruising. There must have been at least 1,000 birds - the noise and commotion was amazing. I hope this posting gives an impression of the moment rather than any particular merit.

The Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It breeds in much of the Old World and the Atlantic coast of North America.

The Great Cormorant is a large black bird, 77-94 cm in length with a 121-149 cm wingspan. It has a longish tail and yellow throat-patch. Adults have white thigh patches in the breeding season. In European waters it can be distinguished from the Common Shag by its larger size, heavier build, thicker bill, lack of a crest and plumage without any green tinge.

In eastern North America, it is similarly larger and bulkier than Double-crested Cormorant, and the latter species has more yellow on the throat and bill.

This is a very common and widespread bird species. It feeds on the sea, in estuaries, and on freshwater lakes and rivers. Northern birds migrate south and winter along any coast that is well-supplied with fish.

The type subspecies, P. c. carbo, is found mainly in Atlantic waters and nearby inland areas: on western European coasts and south to North Africa, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland; and on the eastern seaboard of North America, though in America it breeds only in the north of its range, in the Canadian maritime provinces.
The subspecies found in Australasian waters, P. carbo novaehollandiae, has a crest. In New Zealand it is known as the Black Shag or by its Māori name; Kawau[1]

The 80-100 cm long White-breasted Cormorant P. c. lucidus found in sub-Saharan Africa, has a white neck and breast. It is often treated as a full species, Phalacrocorax lucidus (e.g. Sibley & Monroe, 1990, Sinclair, Hockey and Tarboton, 2002)

In addition to the Australasian and African forms, Phalacrocorax carbo novaehollandiae and P. carbo lucidus mentioned above, other geographically distinct subspecies are recognised, including P. c. sinensis (western Europe to east Asia), P. c. maroccanus (north-western Africa), and P. c. hannedae (Japan).

Some authors treat all these as allospecies of a P. carbo superspecies group.

Many fishermen see in the Great Cormorant a competitor for fish. Because of this it was nearly hunted to extinction in the past. Thanks to conservation efforts its numbers increased. At the moment there are about 450,000 breeding birds in Western Europe. Increasing populations have once again brought the cormorant into conflict with fisheries. For example, in Britain, where inland breeding was once uncommon, there are now increasing numbers of birds breeding inland, and many inland fish farms and fisheries now claim to be suffering high losses due to these birds. In the UK each year some licences are issued to shoot specified numbers of cormorants in order to help reduce predation, it is however still illegal to kill a bird without such a licence.
eqshannon, GLEM, SelenE, jaycee, nglen, Luis52, Gert-Paassen, gerbilratz, boreocypriensis, zulfu, uleko, bahadir has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

A definite feeling of dramatic motion. Here is all this kinetic energy flowing in natural rhythm. A fine dynamic capture James. You have a way with emotions and images at times..one can almost read your thoughts..
Bob

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 530 W: 87 N: 697] (6159)
  • [2008-07-05 7:59]

hi James,
très belle image, voir autant de cormorans au même endroit est assez rare. Effectivement cela doit être impressionnant.

well done
gl

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2405 W: 63 N: 4227] (13822)
  • [2008-07-05 8:32]

Hi James,
What a crowd! Looks like a heaven for you and the birds too :o) TFS
Greetings,
Selen

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2008-07-05 9:25]

Hi James.

I can almost hear them!! What a sight this must have been and you show us a small slice of the scene. Not an easy thing to do but you succeeded.

Jane

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2924 W: 34 N: 8671] (32310)
  • [2008-07-05 9:57]

Hi James. This is what you call a free for all. It must have been a fantastic sight and sound. I am sure at the time of taking you were not thinking about light but the sun on the splashing in the water looks very good. TFS this with your interesting notes,
Nick..

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1110 W: 5 N: 3457] (12761)
  • [2008-07-05 10:38]

Hola James.
Gran foto de accion. Muchas aves buscando su comida diaria en el Mar.
Hermosos detalles en todas ellas.
Saludos James.
Luis52.

Hello James
This certainly does display the spectacle perfectly..It must have been an amazing scene to witness..I wonder what fish they were feeding on?..It had to be a shoaling fish for such a large number to be feeding at the same time.
Paul

Hi James,
You must have been a great sight and what good sight has you there.

Gert

Hi James, wonderful shot, interesting to see so many birds in various stages of flight. last time I saw a sight like this were Gannets off the coast of Lewis.... great bit of work, regards h

Hi my dear friend James,
Amazing shot of these cormorants with a great DOF. You made a wonderful 3-D effect here and chosed a proper pose time to freeze their motions. Great shot in all around my friend.
TFS. Have a nice Sunday!
Cheers,
Bayram

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1069 W: 0 N: 162] (870)
  • [2008-07-06 2:20]

Hello James,
Perfect capture of this flying cormorants in all aspects. Superb sharpnes and details. TFS. Regards,
Mehmet

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3002 W: 162 N: 991] (2901)
  • [2008-07-06 2:43]

Hello James,
I can imagine the noise and they're not exactly popular birds up here as they are too many and totally ruin some islands in the archipelago when nesting. WHen you have a close look at them though they're very beautiful and I like to watch them when they're drying their wings. I like the sense of movement and colours in your capture.
TFS and regards, Ulla

Wonderful shot of a massive flock of cormorants. TFS. G's.
Bahadır

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2008-07-06 13:12]

Wooooww! That must have been an incredible sight!
You've captured the spectacle very well.
I love all the different poses.
Excellent movement.

Very impressive!

Cheers,
Joe

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-07-06 21:29]

Hello James

That is quite some free for all.
The shot creates it own pattern from all the chaos.
Wonderful capture of so much activity and action.
TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1899 W: 36 N: 5579] (18518)
  • [2008-07-11 11:03]

Hi James,
Wonderful shot of this huge flock of Cormorants having a nice time together. Great action moment freezed with very impressive sharpness. I can imagine the noise levels too. Excellent POV and composition. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

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