Cormorants

The Pienaar’s river flow into the Roodeplaat dam at the Southeastern section of the Roodeplaat Nature Reserve in South Africa. This section of the dam is restricted for boating and other water activities where barriers make the perfect resting place for White-breasted Cormorants and other water birds, one of the few unintentional manmade havens for wild birds.

Contrasting colors of the black birds and light reflection of the water surface creates an excellent composition with the colorful orange markers, green hyacinths in the foreground and three smaller ducks in the top left background.

White-breasted Cormorants breed here in large colonies of hundreds of birds in tall dead trees. Their food consists mainly of fish and especially catfish in this area.

A view from the side makes them all look the same, but when they get active it’s another new game.
Catching a fish or steal from your mate, no consequence, and no debate.
Now its already late afternoon, darkness will end their foraging soon.
The sun and the light now still in power, photographer’s call for the Golden Hour.
Contrasting colors of yellow and black , white-breasted feathers now seems to lack.
Resting in peace they are unaware of my intention with the camera gear.