Determination.

I thought that this neotropic cormorant was trying to take off and fly away. But the cormorant just expended a tremendous amount of energy to move about 50 feet then settled down again. Maybe it was just getting some exercise.

I took this photo at the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana.

"Neotropic Cormorant’s calls are sometimes likened to piglike grunts. In Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries, local names that allude to this call include “pig duck” (pato cerdo, pato puerco), “dirty duck” (pato chancho), and “oinking duck (pato gruñón)!" - allaboutbirds.org

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Good morning. 🌄🌅🌞

Yesterday Charlie caught one of the young squirrels in the backyard. These days there are usually more of those little squirrels in the backyard than I notice. It's just a game to Charlie, chase the squirrel, he has no idea what to do if he catches a squirrel. Usually, he freezes just when he is in a good position to grab a squirrel. This time, he nabbed the little squirrel, picked it up, then dropped it, and the squirrel scurried through the hole under the fence. He's done that with a rabbit as well. Do you think he understands empathy?

“Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion, and empathy.” - Dean Koontz

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Neotropic Cormorant.

I photographed this bird at the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. The refuges is roughly 80 miles (124 Kilometers) South of our home. It's about a 2-3 hour ride because of country roads.

"In Mexico, Neotropic Cormorants reportedly fish cooperatively. The birds form a line across swift-flowing streams and strike the surface with their wings. This scares fish into motion, whereupon the cormorants dive and pursue them." - allaboutbirds.org

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Neotropic Cormorant

I took this photo and the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge.

After a population drop in the 1960s, possibly due to the effects of DDT, the Neotropic Cormorant has rebounded and expanded its range rapidly in the United States. ... In some places where their ranges meet, Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorant have nested together in mixed pairs and have produced hybrid offspring. - allaboutbirds.org

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Neotropic Cormorant

This cormorant looks focused. I have a lot of unused photos of these birds, enough to last until I go south again.

"It's never too late. Don't focus on what was taken away. Find something to replace it and acknowledge the blessing you have. " - Drew Barrymore

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