77. Great Cormorant There is water all year round in Africama in the pond known affectionately as ‘Lake Masawe’ after a former Jesuit president of JCAM. It’s too small for waterbirds (unless you count, as I do not, the domesticated ducks). But one interesting bird has been seen here: the Great or White-breasted Cormorant. Though they are never far away from water, it seems that one ventured once to visit us here in Karen, and was seen, I believe, looking thoughtfully into the greenly opaque waters. Cormorants dive and catch their fish underwater. They are powerful swimmers and the hooked bill is no doubt helpful in gripping slippery fish. Other water birds regularly oil their feathers from special glands: it keeps them dry in the water, and allows air trapped in the feathers which creates buoyancy. “Like water off a duck’s back”, we say. But buoyancy is what cormorants, don’t want: it makes it harder to dive below the surface. They want their feathers to be waterlogged, making it easy for them to dive. But it also means they need to hang themselves out to dry when they emerge: so you will typically see them in the sun with wings extended. Birds of AFRICAMA House 159