In Search Of Cormorants

It really is quite bizarre! What is it with me and cormorants? I had no idea I had any interest in any sort of marine wildlife until a holiday in the outer Hebrides in the summer, and after a boat ride round the Isle of Lewis, lo and behold, there I was, hooked on these primitive looking creatures.

When a fellow artist told me there were cormorants on the lake at Delapre Abbey, I was sceptical at first but nevertheless grabbed my camera and sketchbook and went in search of the reptilian looking birds. I arrived to find a single solitary bird in flight just as it disappeared into the horizon.

The young father who had brought his children fishing must have sensed my disappointment. 'Birdwatching?" He was curious and up until that point I hadn't realised I was. "Well in a manner of speaking", I replied, "I heard there were cormorants here". "They are usually on that tree over there...", he was  pointing to a cluster of tall trees a fair distance away, "You will need to get here a little earlier though". 

So the next time I arrived, I found perched high up in the branches a colony of 9 or 10 birds; some flapping, some with outstretched wings and one looked like it was feeding it's young. 

I really wanted to sketch the birds but they were just too far away to do this comfortably. My camera at full 300mm zoom could just about pick out the silhouettes. Nevertheless I walked round the lake to find the closet spot I could manage and grabbed a few shots. I was over the moon. 

For the intrepid plein air artist and urban sketcher, the lake at Delapre has much to offer. It's not just the wildlife but at different times of the day and during the different seasons, the lake can look very different. I am quite excited about spending more time here. Dare I say it? Watch this space