Imperial Cormorant

[John Chardine]

I'm lucky enough to travel every year to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Antarctica and Chile. This Imperial Cormorant was shot at New Island, Falklands in October 2007, at the start of the breeding season. The variety of sexually-selected adornments on the head of this species is remarkable. Note the red and yellow around the gular pouch and bill, the orange knobs, and of course the blue eye, not to mention the "shag" on the head and the white tufts behind the eyes.

I shot this as a jpeg on my old Nikon D70 (6.1 mp). I think my new Canon 40D in RAW would produce a better result.

Nikon D70, 70-200 F2.8 VR @ 200mm, 1/400 s, F5.6, -0.3 EC.

[Jim Neiger]

Hi John,

Lucky you to be able to travel there each year. This is a really cool looking bird. I like composition and position of the bird. I also like the way the bird is portrayed in it's nest. I think you could recover some details in the dark areas by applying a bit of SH tool in PS.

[Fabs Forns]

Amazing cloor of that eye and a crest to die for :)

Good whits, and maybe you could get some detail in the dark as Jim mentions. Well done and thanks for sharing a bird I had never seen!

[Arthur Morris]

Love the hair-do. WIsh that the bird's head were turned a bit more toward you. BKGR is a bit distracting. Basic COMP Is good; could have used some more room above the bird. Who did you travel with?

later and love, artie

[John Chardine]

In my spare time I am a lecturer on ornithology (and some on photography) with the Norwegian Hurtigruten ship the MS Nordnorge. I've been down on that ship since 2002 and before then with smaller Russian vessels. It's an amazing photographic opportunity to spend 5 weeks in this area of the world.

Thanks for all your comments. I'll try the suggestions.

[Stephen Stephen]

John thanks for sharing this image of a bird species that I've never heard of. It would be nice if there was a touch of catchlight in the eye.

The Falklands must be extremely different from Sackville and the Tantramar marshes. (I'm from Saint John, NB originally)

[John Chardine]

Hi Stephen- You have made an understatement! The Falklands is not like any place I've ever seen. The bird life is bizarre. Picture a scene on a beach there: Kelp Geese grazing on green seaweed in the water, a flightless steamer duck swims by, a Magellanic Penguin peaks out of his burrow and then a Turkey Vulture skims low over the beach. Look away from the beach and see a familiar scene of sheep feeding amongst yellow flowering gorse, and then a Black-browed Albatross zooms overhead.

It's an incredible place!