Double-crested Cormorant eating a fish

Last December while at the Riparian preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ, I was able to capture a Double-crested Cormorant, which emerged after a dive with a fish in its bill.  I used the burst mode from my Canon Rebel T1i to catch it in action while it maneuvered the fish in its bill until it was in a good position to swallow.

I made a video from Windows Movie Maker, by putting together 18 pics of the many I took while the cormorant was feeding. This is the first time I have use Windows Movie maker, so I didn't use any of the edit tools. With more practice, perhaps I'll be able to use this software more effectively. Anyway, click on the play button (Above) and watch how this cormorant tries to swallow the fish it caught, but the fish must have not been in a good position to go down comfortably. So it maneuvers the fish into a different position, then swallows it whole. Gulp!

Below are a few of the 18 stills I used in the video clip...

I got me a fish...

Now it's time...

... for some lunch.

Here we go ...

... down the hatch.

Gulp!

Mmmm...Mmmm...Mmmmm. Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.

This past Spring Break, I revisted the Ripraian Preserve, and found several Cormorants drying off in the sun (Below). Cormorants' wing feathers do not possess the oils as other diving birds. So their feathers do not repel water and they must sun dry their drenched feathers before they are able to fly again.

A Double-crested Cormorant drying its wing feathers off in the sun, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 4/12/2012.

You can see how droopy their wing feathers appear, as their drenched feathers can't automatically repel water, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 4/12/2012.

Once its feathers are dr again, it is able to fly again, Riparian Preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 4/12/2012.