Insight

Meet a curious Cormorant.

The sleek, black fisherman with a Pelican-like beak, sat quietly on the
limb as I walked along the shoreline at Agua Calente Park, camera clicking all the way. It was as if the bird posed for half an hour, sometimes extending big, strong wings, another time turning its sleek head to the left then to the right. And then, in the midst of its posing, Curious decided to display its amazing ability of self-awareness. The bird is looking at its own reflection in the water and wondering: Who is this bird looking back at me? Why, that’s me. I am seeing myself. I am!

Actually, what prompted its philosophical stare was a small fish swimming by, bite-size, I might add. Curious flopped into the water, disappeared beneath the surface, then popped up with a big smile on its beak. What a disappointment. The Cormorant wasn’t having a moment of philosophical insight as it looked at the water. It had an empty stomach. Seeing this drama from beginning to ending, I now decided to put the camera away
and unwrap my ham and cheese sandwich. Maybe Curious and I are actually related. With a smile and a flutter of its wings, the Cormorant lifted gracefully into the sky where it flew in circles while meditating about the meaning of life and looking for its next meal. Practical bird. I like that.