ANHINGA AT ANNA'S BOTTOM
On Wednesday Karen and I were back in the swamps, this
time at Anna's Bottom about ten miles north of Natchez
in the Mississippi River floodplain. Permanent open
water stands here and there and you never know which
water-loving bird will show up. On Wednesday many
Double-crested Cormorants, profiled here last week,
were flying around, plus there was one snaky-necked
Anhinga, ANHINGA ANHINGA,

However, notice that the Anhinga's beak is sharp while
the cormorant's was rounded and hooked at the tip.
Anhingas spear fish with their sharp beaks, flip them
into the air and swallow them head-first. I've read
that sometimes the Anhinga's beak skewers the fish so
that the bird must return to shore with the fish
Shishkabobed on the bill and somehow pry it off.

The Anhinga's neck is so long and slender that
Anhingas often are called Snakebirds. They swim with
their bodies submerged under the water, with their
necks stretched forward. From a distance they can look
like snakes with their front ends raised.

Often you see both cormorants and Anhingas sunning
themselves with their wings spread against the sun.
All the larger birds at Anna's Bottom seemed too
nervous for that. I'm guessing that people go there to
take potshots at them.

Anhingas are permanent residents in much of the Deep
South. They breed in open freshwater wetlands from
here through Mexico and Central America into South
America.