Finishing the thread with the very same image I started it with. In my opinion, it’s the best picture of a cormorant in my portfolio, even though it was shot at ISO 25,600.

If you want to learn more about these fascinating birds, I highly recommend the book *The Devil’s Cormorant* by Richard J. King. #GiftIdeas

As promised, a quote from Carl Sagan:

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

#CormorantWeek 🧵 7/7

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#CormorantWeek 🧵 6/7

I took the picture below a few years ago, an unexpected moment in time engraved in my memory.

I noticed movement in the river far ahead. I didn’t know what to expect, but I got the camera ready and started looking for the source of the movement.

After two minutes of nothingness, this cormorant jumped out, wanting to land on the log. However, the log was drifting, so it spun beneath its feet, resulting in a large splash.

After recomposing itself, the bird flew away.

One of the commenters in this thread wrote: “I think the Loch Ness Monster is simply a cormorant that someone took a fuzzy picture of.”

Zooming in on Leila, I can see the resemblance to the famous picture of Nessie from 1934.

Did you know that last year researchers conducted the largest search for the Loch Ness Monster in more than 50 years?

They heard four distinctive “gloops,” but it later turned out that the recorder wasn’t plugged in.

#CormorantWeek 🧵 5/7

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“Cormorant” is a contraction probably derived from Latin corvus marinus, "sea raven".

"Sea raven" was the usual term for cormorants in Germanic languages until after the Middle Ages.

The belief that cormorants were related to ravens lasted at least to the 16th century.

In Northern European traditions spirits of those lost at sea come to visit their loved ones disguised as cormorants.

#CormorantWeek 🧵 4/7

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Since you're on Mastodon you probably know this: cormorants have non-waterproof feathers that absorb water, reducing buoyancy and allowing them to dive deeper and longer.

However, this also means they carry heavy plumage during flight, leading to their distinctive behavior of air drying their wings.

#CormorantWeek 🧵 3/7

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Just like in my previous post, meet Leila (Arabic for ‘night’), who often - solitarily - hangs out where I take my dog for a swim.

Female and male cormorants look almost identical. In breeding pairs, males tend to have sturdier heads and bodies. Females often choose larger males (assortative pairing), but outside the nesting season, it can be hard to tell the genders apart.

Leila is thus in superposition, both X and Y until observed.

#CormorantWeek 🧵 2/7
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