Pic of the Day

Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus

Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park

          The eye posted yesterday belongs to this fellow, Double-crested Cormorant.  Cormorants often perch on the wooden railing that separates Anhinga trail from the slough.  The aqua colored eye is a marvel in itself.  With out the reference of feathers and Lores the eye itself looks like it could be a deep space nebula photographed by the Hubble Telescope. These birds are so tame that they allowed me to shoot the eye with a 105mm macro lens with 30mm of extension tubes.  My shooting distance was about two inches from the bird.  Where else, but Anhinga Trail can you get so close to birds with out traumatizing them.