There were easily 100 Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) on the remains of an old dock sticking out into the Rappahannock River, but a couple of juveniles (adults are all black) were relatively close to shore. I slowly moved up to the water's edge to get some shots of them because I wanted to showcase one of their most striking features: their aquamarine eyes.
It took a while to shoot them looking in various directions so that I was certain to get one that really showed off those peepers. I was surprised that when they were looking towards the sunlight, the color was washed out. In this shot, they are looking almost 180 degrees away from the sun and it was the perfect angle.
One thing I haven't been able to see, let alone shoot, with these birds is the inside of their mouths. They are, according to all reliable sources, bright blue.
