White cormorant

Chelon

Spotted a curious looking white bird high up in a tree by the river yesterday. Using binoculars it definitely looked like a cormorant but curiously at a distance there was loads of white on it, all over the breast and head; at first I though it was an egret but the head and general shape said cormorant. So my question is - is this rare or normal maybe in juveniles?

Took pic on the phone, not very clear but gives a rough idea:

Chelon

It's a poor pic but the bird is actually facing the camera - the black part below the white is the bottoms of the wings which were about the only bits which looked black at a distance anyway, the rest of it looked white

Esel

Do cormorants roost or perch on trees? I thought it might be a heron (see them in trees regularly).

It is a very unclear picture though… 😀

Chelon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122553943#Comment_122553943

They do roost in trees; the shape of the bill was slightly curved and not straight like a heron