Catch a cormorant

Wendy Evans dispenses advice on how to photograph these reptilian-looking fish hunters

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Some birds look like they are not-so-distant relatives of the pterodactyl. With its reptilian neck and curved beak, the cormorant is one of them. These features allow the cormorant to catch fish, which is the type of shot we're aiming for. You can find them on the coast and on inland waterways, and with over 64,000 of them spending the winter in the UK, they are not hard to find either.

Where to focus

The key shot to get is the cormorant surfacing with a fish trapped in its beak, so you have to watch where it's diving and coming up. One focusing option is to pre-focus on the spot where it dives, then switch autofocus off so you're not hunting for focus when it comes up.

Alternative methods