The title is a reference to Christopher Isherwood’s nonsense poem about this bird. They have been constant companions on many of my sea fishing trips and, like Isherwood, I can’t easily tell the difference between a cormorant or shag! I do know they don’t lay their eggs in paper bags though, and this is a watercolour sketch made from observations at the Farne Islands. They may not draw the crowds like puffins do, but they are every bit as interesting in their own way!