Yesterday afternoon, as a strong, southeast wind raked Metro Denver, I caught sight of two double-crested cormorants, circling high above our farm. Powerful fliers, usually seen making beelines across bays or lakes, they do often soar during the warmer months.
This pair, not content to merely soar, engaged in brief dives as they danced in the clear blue sky, a behavior I had not seen before in that species. As they moved on, a pair of red-tailed hawks took the stage, seemingly prepared to outshine the cormorants. Of course, their agility was far superior and some of their dives were breathtaking.
Were this a competition, the medals would go to the hawks. But, at least for this judge, the cormorants earned points for originality. Note to fellow birders: don't forget to look up; you just might miss the show.
