ANDY ANHINGA: my neighbor

 I couldn't resist sharing with you the daily view outside my bedroom window. This black guy is called an anhinga. He is often called a snake bird and if you could see him skimming across the lake with only his long neck showing, you would see why. The tall bird in the back is a heron. But our subject today is Andy, my daily friend and amusement.

Like a cormorant, he often swims with his head above water, knifing through the surface like a snake  poised to strike. He's much friendlier, however. His feathers are not waterproof by oils so he gets waterlogged. Since he is not buoyant, he can stay underwater and actually swim for long periods of time. I was once in a tourist attraction, seeing a north Florida river from a glass bottomed boat, when an anhinga swam beneath the boat with a fish in his mouth.

Once back on the shore, he spreads out his beautiful black and gray feathers and wings and perches until he is dry again. I rarely seem in pairs, so I'm not sure of their mating habits,but they are certainly a rare sight to see.