under water

bird watching
cormorant dives
blows bubbles

A cormorant creates bubbles from its feathers as it dives under water searching for food then comes up for air. Recently my wife Jill shared a you tube clip of what this looks like when the bird actually hunts. https://www.facebook.com/mervynd/videos/10158899397264451

IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA YOU CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO. READ WHY BELOW.

Australians are being blocked from accessing news in their Facebook feeds, in a dramatic escalation of the social media giant’s stand-off with the federal government.The social media giant said it made the move in response to the government’s proposed media bargaining laws, which would force major tech giants to pay Australian news outlets for their content.

The move also prevents people overseas from sharing Australian content on the social media site.

This is my contribution to Ronovan Writes #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge 345 BIRD AND Blow. Follow this link and see how other haiku poets use BIRD and BLOW creatively.

neighbours

people hide
to sunbathe and swim
birds don’t care

An interesting comparison at the Middle Brighton Sea Baths in Brighton, (Melbourne) recently. Behind that screen and under the umbrellas were people who had paid to use the facilities . At the adjacent seawall some Cormorants and a Seagull rested up in the sun before taking to the water at their leisure. Same sun, same water. Isn’t the life of a bird so much less complicated?

open beach
calls birds and people
free for all

been fishing

 

under water

flash of black and white

cormorant

 

fishing over

time to dry and clean

black and white

This Little Pied Cormorant had been fishing along the breakwater at Sandringham Yacht Club. It was amazing looking down into the clear water  to see the way this bird was flashing backwards and forwards below the surface with wings tucked in , twisting and turning beside the rocks. Suddenly the agile fishing machine exploded out of  the sea and landed on this rock below me. What else could I do but start clicking the button on my camera furiously.

My contribution to RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge 73 Black&White.  To explore an abundant cornucopia of haiku from talented poets across the world visit https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/11/30/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-73-blackwhite/

 

 

 

time out

 

warming drying sun

a seabird  break from feeding

fish also relax

A little Pied Cormorant, a couple of Silver Gulls and a flock of Crested Terns share an ideal roosting spot in the early morning sun. From this height they can watch what other birds on the water are up to and save some energy. Any sign of fishing activity, depending on the species, and they would be off to join in.