Quarrelling cormorants

On a sunny early autumn morning these cormorants were having a fight over sitting on the branch on the left. The one on the right did everything he could to get the other to go away, but he didn't succeed. Their quarrel went on for minutes.

These branches are put in the water by a foresterto accomodate both birds and photographers; the blind in the Lepelaarplassen is sometimes crowded, you can find as many as 10 or 15 photographers there at the same time, especially on weekends. That's why it's wise to come early so you can get a good spot, just like the cormorant on the left.

Remarkable scene and shot, Vincent! Everything is like people! I suppose the quarrel is quite reasonable, they are fighting for the most prestigious place for posing. I wonder what they were saying to each other? Bravo! Sincerely, Tatiana

Hi Tatiana,

 

thanks for your swift and funny comments! Yes, animal behavior often does resemble the way people interact. What they were saying? 'I was here first', 'that's my spot' , 'it's my turn' or something along those lines. Kind regards, Vincent

Bravo Vincent, A very beautiful image, with good lighting and sharpness that shows the behavior of these birds to show who is the most domineering, ciao Giangiorgio

Hi Giangiorgio,

 

thank you for your friendly comments! The one on the left has won that contest, that's for sure. Kind regards, Vincent

Certainly looks like they are in a defensive position, Vincent. The beautiful background really makes them stand out. I like that their heads are almost in the same plane. Eye contact seems to be critical. Wonderful focus on the eyes and timing. Excellent control of the exposure. Fantastic job of capturing this intriguing drama. Best regards, Paul.

Hi Paul,

 

thank you for your great comments! Their fight went on and on, with the one on the left clearly being the more dominant one. I was lucky with the light, which was abundant. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Vincent, nice shot congratulations! Too bad to cut the bird down, but if you don't have a zoom there was no alternative.

Best regards, Max

Hi Max,

 

thank you for your friendly comments! Yes, this was shot with a fixed focal length of 400 mm, so as you rightly say, there was no alternative image available. There's only the blind and the birds at a certain distance; sometimes that results in a very nice crop, sometimes it's a bit tight. Kind regards, Vincent