Cormorant takeoff

Depending on whom you believed, we were either supposed to get a fair amount of rain, or a deluge with high winds, hail, and locust plagues, so before whatever was going to transpire transpired, I hit the trail for a walk. Along the near shore of the millpond, I noticed a Double-crested Cormorant sitting stock still on a dead snag. Most likely the bird was watching the water in the hope of seeing the telltale movement of fish, and it seemed so intent on its observations that it didn't notice me moving downslope to try to capture a good close-up. Normally, cormorants will spook when I'm within 10 yards, but this one didn't flee until I was within about 10 feet. Even then, it didn't move very far away—leaping into the air, then landing quickly and paddling slowly off before diving after a meal.