On one of my recent walks along the harbor I came across this feathered aviator. The first time I had seen a bird drying its wings like this was years ago in the Everglades. The birds I saw doing that were Anhingas. So these birds have poorly developed oil glands and its feathers are not as waterproof as those of other birds. Thus, if they wish to fly, after swimming in the water, they must do this to dry their wings. With their wings free of water, they weigh less, and are able to take flight. I think that this is not an Anhinga, because I don't believe that they come this far north. I am guessing it is some type of Cormorant. I hope that someone out there who reads this will be able to tell us more about this particular bird.
Great shot of a Double-crested Cormorant drying his wings. betsey
ReplyDeleteI see the Cormorant, Water and a Yellow Containment Boom manufactured from 22 oz/sq yd PVC coated Polyester Fabric. An early inventor/supplier of this product was a Connecticut company called Slickbar founded by Millard Smith around 1960. Aren't you now glad to know about this little bit of trivia?
ReplyDeleteBetsey: thank you so much for identifying the Cormorant! Primo: Your post is a perfect example of all the stuff that someone can learn by reading my blog each day! I LOVE knowing stuff like this! Thanks!
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