There’s something about those eyes.
Several days ago while attempting to photograph Bushtits I had an unexplained problem with soft photos so the next day I visited a local pond to take some test shots. I judge sharpness in my photos best when my subjects are birds so my intention was to find one of the domestic Mallards that hang out on the pond and use it as a test subject.
But within seconds after I arrived at the pond this immature Double-crested Cormorant popped up right in front of me and became my Mallard substitute. I’ll take a cormorant over a domestic Mallard any old day.
I’m enchanted by cormorant eyes. I think they’re beautiful so when I get closeup shots of a cormorant I typically crop tightly on their eyes just to become bewitched again.
The color of their iris has variously been described as blue-green, turquoise or aquamarine but whatever word you use the color is unique, at least among the birds I photograph.
I know of no other bird whose eye features so many concentric circles including the black pupil, two greenish colors within the iris, the eye ring and even the bulge of the eye as it emerges from the eye socket.
The eyes of breeding adults can be even more striking and I’ve heard it said that the eyes of eastern cormorants are more colorful than those of our western birds although I don’t know if that’s true.
In some circles cormorants don’t get a lot of respect because they’re so common and because of their propensity for eating sport fish like trout. At the pond where this photo was taken fisherpersons often look upon the cormorants with disdain bordering on hatred.
But I’m fond of them, in part because of those eyes. They may not be Bette Davis Eyes but I love’em.
Ron
Notes:
- Notice the two catch lights in the eye. The larger one at top is a direct reflection of the sun while the smaller one below is a reflection of a reflection of the sun off of the water.
- Yes, I’d say my lens passed the sharpness test, at least with this photo, especially since both versions of the photo are big crops.
- You’re welcome for the Bette Davis Eyes earworm.
Years ago I rescued a cormorant walking south on Hwy 12 toward Rodanthe in NC. It looked a bit like Dracula walking along with its wings out. After chasing it down the highway I was able to toss a sheet over it and take it to the Charles Kuralt Trail at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge where I released it into an inland waterway next to Pamlico Sound. I did not get a chance to look at its eyes and didn’t take time to snap a picture so these photos just amaze me. The bird swam away then turned as if to say thank you! Now I know how beautiful its eyes were. Thank you, Ron!
Yup, being from New England and living on the water for 40 years and summers for 20 years before that, cormorants have a bad reputation, especially if you are a fisherman. Beautiful image, great post!
Green jewels…emeralds that see…
Oh my goodness, that eye looks like an aquamarine cabochon surrounded by gold. Absolutely gorgeous. The water drops on its head and neck add to the jewel-ness of the image.
And thanks a lot for the ear worm. 😱
Well Marty, I had to look up cabochon. Thanks, I learned something.
And my inclination is to prefer cabochons over cut stones – they’re more natural.
Simply sublime. And of course I had to check and see whether ‘our’ cormorants have that incredible eye colour. It seems that they do – and we also have a blue-eyed cormorant.
Thank you for the education and the delight.
EC, I think there are something like 40 species of cormorants. I wonder how many eye colors are involved…
Those birds have a reputation like rats here in New England. They have literally eaten everything that swims on the cove where I live. We have no more eels and small baitfish which attract larger game fish to the area. The fisherman hate them. They will congregate at Herring runs and fish ladders and gorge themselves until they cannot fly……
Yup, they eat a lot of hatchery fish too.
Yes they are beautiful, when the sun hits them just right they seem faceted like a cut gem.
Agreed.
Where are the tech specs? Were you so bewitched by those beautiful eyes that you forgot them? Perfectly understandable though.
“Where are the tech specs?”
I left them out purposely, Catherine. At the time my only concern was sharpness so I never fine-tuned my settings. I’m not particularly proud of a 1/8000 shutter speed for a static shot like this one.
I’ve never noticed their eye color. Is it because it’s an immature one or that’s their color❓
By our lake there’s an area where they nest and it’s almost comical watching them at the tops of the flimsy trees.
Clear Skies here in Sacramento and Loving it 😁
Diana, juveniles have brownish eyes and they slowly transition to the adult color over time. I suspect this immature bird is still transitioning.
WOWWWW! Those eyes are mesmorizing!
They are!
Cormorant eyes are otherworldly. As if colors from some faraway galaxy were transplanted into those orbs. The double eye catches enhance that feeling. Makes one wonder how they, and other avian species with irises of red (your Westen Grebe photos) or gold (Raptors and, of course, Goldeneyes) see the world.
The camera and photographer appear to be functioning very well.
Kim Carnes’s voice strikes me as a bit cormorant-like.
Carnes’ voice is unique isn’t it, Lyle. I’ve always liked it.
Wow– it’s as if those eyes are BOTH Jade and Emerald greens, given
the variation in the concentric circles ; I had no idea that those colors
existed in the eyes of living creatures–prettiest “test” fields I’ve yet seen !
I’m glad you appreciate those colors like I do, Kris.
Close to Bette Davis eyes. My late dad was Bette’s second cousin. My parents and aunts and uncles all met her once or twice, but I never did.
I have always like the Cormorants and we have lots of them here patrolling our five lakes. They move from lake to lake as they are stocked with trout, bass, etc. And you are right, most fisherman hate them. At our Lynx Lake there is a large snag tree where they sit sometimes twenty or more at a time. Once I was almost right under when one of the Eagles landed at the very top. Within five seconds every Cormorant was gone. Another time though I saw the same situation, but with an Osprey landing on top. Not one Cormorant even bother to look up at it.
These are really excellent photos of the Cormorant’s eyes.
That’s an interesting observation about their different behavior in the presence of an osprey and an eagle, Everett. Makes sense though. Birds are smart.
WOW! Those eyes ARE amazing! 😀 I had NO idea…
Early this morning enough smoke was gone to be a VERY starry night complete with Milky Way. YES! Of course, a storm coming in tonight…hoping for LOTS of moisture…..😉
Judy, we’ve been mostly clear of smoke for several days now. So very refreshing!
The eyes certainly have it! I was mesmerized the first time I saw the color. Your photos here certainly are perfection and give us something to really see the unique details. Many thanks!
Thanks, Kathy. Loved the subtle word play in your first sentence.
The first time I photographed cormorants, I finally got a good look at those eyes, and was completely entranced. The color and details are just stunning. This one’s eyes seem more green than the vivid blue of the ones I see (turquoise, actually) but of course that could be due to a combination of things: species, light, and so on. Such fine photos.
My first time photographing cormorants was similar to yours, Shoreacres. Those eyes…