Double Crested Cormorant?

100-400 @ 400 + 1.4 TC, 100% crop, so not a great photo, but I wanted this for ID. Looks to me like a Double Crested Cormorant, but seems way too small according to the books, and it's neck seems too short. Found in a wildlife refuge in Massachusetts, about 20 miles inland, so habitat fits too.

Scottes,
Could he be a Neotropic Cormorant? ( Phalacrocorax brasilianus ) Double Crested should have an all orange beak. This dude don't. Then again what the heck do I know. Just bought the damn book. Before that this would have been a Justablackorangebeaked​perchingonabirdhousebi​rd.

Scott, looks like you hit it right on the head. From the looks of the orange at the base of the bill, it looks like it is a double-breasted cormorant.

Nice catch.

Man, you get all the nice bird up there in Mass. Wish I had the same type of variety here. (Actually, based on a local birding book, there is a good variety. I just have to drive out to like a million different places to see them all! )

BTW, I just saw my first red-winged blackbird this morning on my way to work and I immediately thought of you and your pictures. This bird was perched on a grass stalk just like in your pictures. It was gone by the time I stopped and turned around for a closer look with my camera.

IanD wrote:
Scottes,
Could he be a Neotropic Cormorant? ( Phalacrocorax brasilianus ) Double Crested should have an all orange beak. This dude don't. Then again what the heck do I know. Just bought the damn book. Before that this would have been a Justablackorangebeaked​perchingonabirdhousebi​rd.

Just one book, Ian? You have to have at least THREE books from different sources, just in case a 2nd or even a 3rd opinion is required.

According to the book, the Neotropic has a white V where the bill meets the rest of the bird. Also, it doesn't look like Massachusetts is included in the Neotropic habitat.

And the more I look at Cormorants the more this looks like one, but this one seems so small.

Scott, how was the manual focusing with the 1.4x? That's the only apprehension I have about using the 1.4x with the 100-400. But I guess with the focus acknowledgement light in the viewfinder as a guide, it can't be all that bad, huh?

I'm still debating whether I want to get myself the 1.4x or not. I can definitely use it on my 70-100 f/2.8 lens but I have yet to really get out and shoot with it and I bought it more than a month ago.

Leo,
Get the 1.4. I love mine and it works like a charm on the 70-200 IS.
Damn, now I have to go out and buy 2 more birdy books. My one and only birdy book shows the Double Crested with a total orange beak. That is what I get for buying a bird book that was written by Slyvester and Tweety

Focus is tricky, but that may be due to the fact that I have bad eyesight and wear glasses. My eyes also play tricks on me - if I stare at something it will come into focus, but if I rest and come back then I can see that it's out of focus.

Out of ~12 photos of this guy - both with and without the 1.4 - about half were what would be called sharp. You're looking at a 100% crop with the 1.4 and some sharpening. The focus confirmation light came on *every* time, regardless of the manual focusing I did - so I don't feel it's that accurate, and I don't trust it when shooting birds because you can never get the eye to fill the sensor.

If you can afford the $280 I'd say it's worth it though. It has given me some good images that I would not have made otherwise. But I consider it handy more than practical. If you *need* the 1.4 to get a shot then I doubt that it's going to be very sellable. But if you *want* the 1.4 to get a tighter shot then it's a different story, and you'll get some nice shots. Just my humble opinion.

When you consider the 70-200 f/2.8 though, it starts to make much more sense, and becomes a lot more handy when you can use it on both lenses. And one day I just might get that 600mm L....

Scott/IanD,

Thanks for the tidbit on the 1.4x. You've talked me into it and I'll order one as soon as I get done with this post. I was planning to get it some time later but I've just decide that "some time later" has just passed.

Yep Scottes I agree with you on it being a Double Crested Cormorant.. My bird book shows the 2 tone bill the wing design and the same tail . I think yours is just resting his neck so it looks shorter..

Nice shot

JZ

You know... Iv'e been around Cormarants by the thousands my whole life,.. and like Gulls,. I've never even thought to look at what variety I was surrounded by...

My Bad... and at work here I have no reference books..

very nice picture!!