Rise and Shine – Cormorant at the slipway, Clontarf

The cormorant, a large distinctive seabird, seems to particularly like this spot at the slipway in Clontarf.  I often see him here, sometimes on the pole just to the left in the water beyond the slipway, standing with wings out stretched to dry.  I wonder if he has chosen this spot because the structure of the slipway is like a monument to the cormorant.  Its dark colour, with two outstretched wings and its arches and steps mirroring feathers reflects the features of the cormorant.

This is a great to spot to catch them in action with their remarkable diving skills to catch fish.

This piece uses a combination of detailed pen sketching for the cormorant and digital illustration of the slipway, and out to Dublin Bay and the Poolbeg Chimneys.