Phalacrocorax penicillatus

Across the way from Cannery Row in downtown Monterey is a small rocky wharf where visitors go to see the California Sea Lions up close, where locals go to fish, and where divers go to do whatever it is they do under there. Out at the end is a large aggregation of Brandt's Cormorants. During the day they're out on the bay fishing, but in the evening they come back to chill on the rocks. Right now they're sporting some magnificent breeding plumage--basically white whiskers on their neck and an extra-turquoise blue throat patch. The eye just really gets me though.