Perhaps it is because today is Halloween or because the overcast sky on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge caused everything to be shadowy and monochromatic. Whatever the reason, the shape of this Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) reminds me of a bat, especially in the first image.
I captured these two images as the cormorant was preparing to take off from the water. Unlike some birds that rise straight up, a cormorant has to bounce across the water to gain enough momentum for liftoff, which is why you can see the splashes of water behind the cormorant in both shots.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Amazing photos! thank you
You captured those splashes so well, Mike. Those are great photos!
Thanks, Dan. It was mostly a reactive pressing of the shutter when the cormorant started to take off. On of the nice things about these birds is that they tend to fly laterally, which makes them easier to track, rather than turn their backs to me and fly away.
Nice Mike! The splashes look cool! Adds interest and movement!
Thanks, Reed. Lighting is such a fascinating thing. Shooting into the sun caused my main subject to be silhouetted, but it caused the water droplets to stand out more because the light was shining through them. In one case the light was blocked and in the other it was transmitted and maybe magnified a bit. Definitely cool.