A Big Catch at Spring Lake

I remember being surprised the first time I saw Cormorants at Lake Ralphine and Spring Lake because I’ve always associated them with Puget Sound or the Ocean. Over the years, though, I’ve become so accustomed to seeing them there I ignore them most of the time.

It was impossible, though, to ignore the commotion on Spring Lake created by these cormorants.

I instinctively focused on the group and ended up with this shot of a cormorant with a huge fish.

Apparently the other cormorants weren’t immediately willing to concede defeat and pursued the lucky cormorant while it tried to block them with its wings.

I was amazed to see the cormorant swallow the fish whole.

Perhaps the other cormorants didn’t think it possible, either, because they didn’t give up pursuit until the tail had nearly disappeared.

Now I know why there are so many cormorants and mergansers — not to mention fishermen — on these two lakes.

4 thoughts on “A Big Catch at Spring Lake”

  1. As a kid I used to watch the cormorants fishing from a small island on the Maine coast. Was often amazed at how long they could stay down.

    1. You really notice the time underwater when you’re trying to figure out where they will resurface so you can get another shot.

  2. Chinese fishermen use tamed cormoramts to catch big fish.. they put a ring around the birds neck so that they don’t swallow big catches.

    1. That’s the first time I ever really noticed one, Meera, way back in high school or college watching a documentary film on China.

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