Neotropical Cormorant & Stick

[Stephen Stephen]

I created this image a couple of days ago on the Melia Las Antillas resort just outside Varadero, Cuba. ( My kind wife had treated the whole family to Christmas in Cuba.)

This bird along with a tri-colored heron and a green heron had become almost residents in the resorts man-made saltwater lagoon.

I watched, and photographed all three birds over the course of the week. Sometimes the Tri-colored Heron would fish along the edge of the lagoon channel where the cormorant was stirring up the fish. It was interesting to watch.

In this image the cormorant began "playing" with a stick. It actually tossed it in the air a couple of times before it started fishing again. I've heard about green herons that use sticks and leaves to attract fish but I'm not sure what was happening in this case. Any ideas?

Canon 40 D, Sigma 50-500mm at 266mm Handheld, 1/400 seconds, F7.10, ExposureProgram - Manual control, ISO 400 - 80% of Full frame

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Maybe he practiced the 'toss and swallow' behavior?

[Stephen Stephen]

Thanks Axel you could be right.