{"id":43886,"date":"2016-12-13T06:16:09","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T13:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=43886"},"modified":"2025-05-18T04:45:20","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T09:45:20","slug":"double-crested-cormorant-with-its-catch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/13\/double-crested-cormorant-with-its-catch\/","title":{"rendered":"Double-crested Cormorant With Its Catch – The Story Behind The Images"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"UpcomingUpcoming weather forecast<\/span><\/p>\n

I went out shooting yesterday at two different locations, once at Farmington Bay in the morning, then twice at a pond near where I live, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The day was sunny, cool and bright and I knew that bad weather (for bird photography anyway) was coming in so I felt like I needed to make the most of the day.<\/p>\n

I’ll post some images later that I took using my new tripod set up but today I wanted to share some images of a Double-crested Cormorant from yesterday afternoon at the pond.<\/p>\n

\"Double-crestedDouble-crested Cormorant with a large fish – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

There have been several late migrating or overwintering Double-crested Cormorants at the pond and I photographed a few of them yesterday morning but the action I saw and photographed in the afternoon was much more interesting. When I first got to the pond I saw one of the Double-crested Cormorants up close with a large fish that it was struggling with. Soon another cormorant joined it and they both kept dropping the fish back into the water, fighting with each other and catching it again. The fish was alive at first.<\/p>\n

\"Double-crestedDouble-crested Cormorant swimming close up – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 320, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The cormorants would let go of the fish and then dive to capture it again. The action was happening close up and fast so I didn’t have time to take my teleconverter off. I wish I had been able to.<\/p>\n

The blue sky overhead reflected nicely on the water and turned it the most delicious shades of blue.<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull and a large fish – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 320, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The California Gulls that frequent the pond also tried to catch the fish but I think they kept dropping it because the fish was heavy. This image would have been wonderful if I would have had my teleconverter off because I could have gotten all of the gull’s body instead of clipping so much of it.<\/p>\n

\"Double-crestedDouble-crested Cormorant with its catch – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 320, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the cormorants caught the fish again…<\/p>\n

\"Double-crestedDouble-crested Cormorant about to swallow a fish – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 320, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

But turned away as it swallowed the large fish whole so I didn’t get any great images of that action. I wish I had!<\/p>\n

\"Double-crestedDouble-crested Cormorant splashing after eating – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 320, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

After the Double-crested Cormorant swam away it started splashing its wings on the water and created a wake behind it.<\/p>\n

It was fun photographing this Double-crested Cormorant with its catch yesterday afternoon close to home especially since I knew the weather was going to take a turn.<\/p>\n

Life is good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Double-crested Cormorant photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was fun photographing this Double-crested Cormorant with its catch yesterday afternoon close to home especially since I knew the weather was going to take a turn. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":144572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,520,144,709,26],"tags":[4333,5548,5200,149,4432,3539,521,4230,4173,1984,4106,5549,8018,4111],"class_list":["post-43886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-california-gulls","category-double-crested-cormorant","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-california-gull","tag-cormorant","tag-cormorants","tag-double-crested-cormorant","tag-fish","tag-gull","tag-gulls","tag-larus-californicus","tag-nannopterum-auritus","tag-pond","tag-prey","tag-swallowing","tag-urban","tag-weather"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-fish-mia-mcpherosn-2154.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-bpQ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":142466,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/04\/02\/double-crested-cormorant-drying-their-wings\/","url_meta":{"origin":43886,"position":0},"title":"Double-crested Cormorant Drying Their Wings","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Almost two years ago, I was at a small pond in a city park near where I lived in Utah when I photographed this Double-crested Cormorant drying their wings.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Double-crested Cormorant drying their wings, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-wings-mia-mcpherson-3146.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-wings-mia-mcpherson-3146.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-wings-mia-mcpherson-3146.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-wings-mia-mcpherson-3146.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55188,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/12\/02\/immature-double-crested-cormorant-flight-in-golden-afternoon-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":43886,"position":1},"title":"Immature Double-crested Cormorant Flight In Golden Afternoon Light","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the birds I took images of that afternoon was an immature Double-crested Cormorant that flew past me in that golden light just barely above the surface of the pond.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Double-crested Cormorant flight in golden light, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-flight-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-0456.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-flight-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-0456.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-flight-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-0456.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-flight-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-0456.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":111204,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/03\/14\/double-crested-cormorant-on-the-bear-river\/","url_meta":{"origin":43886,"position":2},"title":"Double-crested Cormorant on the Bear River","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this adult Double-crested Cormorant at the end of March last spring as it swam by me on the Bear River. The color of its eyes was so striking.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spring Double-crested Cormorant on the Bear River, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/double-crested-cormorant-spring-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-4968.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/double-crested-cormorant-spring-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-4968.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/double-crested-cormorant-spring-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-4968.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-spring-pond-mia-mcpherson-2377.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-spring-pond-mia-mcpherson-2377.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-spring-pond-mia-mcpherson-2377.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/double-crested-cormorant-spring-pond-mia-mcpherson-2377.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49593,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/27\/double-crested-cormorant-after-surfacing\/","url_meta":{"origin":43886,"position":4},"title":"Double-crested Cormorant After Surfacing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Last December there were several Double-crested Cormorants hanging around my local pond here in northern Utah and I had a great time photographing them.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Double-crested Cormorant after surfacing from a dive, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-surfacing-mia-mcpherson-2294.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-surfacing-mia-mcpherson-2294.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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