Anhingas are often seen diving into ponds and open water, as underwater fishing is their specialty. But this fellow looked a little awkward, leaning WAY over the railing, apparently peering at something tasty among these densely growing emergent plants in very shallow water.
We frequently see Anhingas dive into open water, swim around, and then pop up several feet or yards away. ” …their waterlogged feathers allow them to dive easily and search for underwater prey, such as fish and amphibians.” (National Park Service). “… the microstructure of the feathers lets water into tiny spaces inside them . . .and the resulting loss of buoyancy helps birds submerge and forage.” (David Sibley’s Guide to Bird Life and Behavior (2001, p.166).
But this ‘snake bird’ was contemplating an open spot in the shallow water barely large enough – or deep enough – for his rather large body.
Nonetheless, a moment later, much to my delight, the Anhinga actually dove straight down and swam off into a little patch of water barely visible between the plants.
You may have seen an Anhinga after a dive, with wings spread, ‘drying off’ on a tree branch. “Anhingas have unusually low metabolic rates and unusually high rates of body-heat loss. The spread-wing posture allows them to absorb solar energy to supplement their low metabolic heat production and to offset their high rate of heat loss.” (National Park Service)
Contrary to popular opinion about the Anhinga‘s plumage lacking oils, David Sibley’s Guide to Bird Life and Behavior (2001, p.166) explains further that they “have poor insulation and low metabolic rates” so that even after their wings dry, they warm up by keeping their wings spread to “maximize solar energy gain.”
Birder's Journey 
Nature never ceases to surprise me!
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What a delightful comment, Amy! I feel the same way. 🤗
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Great catch. I’ve never seen an Anhinga on a rail. Those floppy feet make it hard to keep balance. Good shot 😁😁
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Thanks very much, Ted! We see them occasionally on the railings, but I think they’re even more comical to watch trying to take off or land on a tree branch.😉
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I’ve seen them balancing on a branch and suddenly fall in the water. Not good in a swamp, Anhinga is an Alligator favorite.
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😳
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I enjoyed this unusual posture series of the anhinga, BJ. When I got to the last photo I could hardly believe it!
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Thanks so much for your visit, Jet. It really was funny to watch him leaning over further and further and further! 😅
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Wonderful post and photographs.
Growing up in Florida, we called Anhingas “Water Turkeys” due to their patterned tails. They always outfished us, and it was not unusual to have them dive under the boat and try to steal the bait off our hooks. We were lucky not to hook them.
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What interesting memories, Wally! I’ve known that Anhingas are called ‘snake birds’, but I had never heard ‘water turkeys’.
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Very cool!
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Thanks, Berny! Quite a stretch!😉
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Great set of photographs! It’s impressive to see how long the bird’s neck is as he stretches out before diving…very snake-like!
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Yes, I almost wondered if he could catch a fish from his standing position on top of the boardwalk railing! Thanks, Ann!
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That’s really a cool sighting, BJ! They must be related to Cormorants and maybe the cousin to Turkey Vultures who do the same things with their wings.
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I didn’t know about their low metabolic rate and their need to absorb solar energy even when their wings are dry. I wonder if cormorants have the same issue.
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Great question, Tanja! Interestingly, they’re actually different, as I read in David Sibley. But I’m not home and don’t have my Sibley book with me, so I can’t answer that right now. 😉
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