Satan of the riverbank

THERE is something odd about the cormorant—a hint of the reptilian, some echo of the prehistoric. It seems more bat than bird. There is a certain elegance to the tall heron that wades the same waters, yet nothing remotely chic about the cormorant. It has enormous feet, short legs and a ludicrous paddling walk (a cormorant makes a penguin look like Naomi Campbell). With a telescopic neck, leathery yellow skin and a call that is an oddly porcine croak, this bird is unlikely ever to inspire romantic poetry. It looks like a broken and discarded umbrella.

ungainly appearance is deceptive. It is