Anhinga drying its wings in the early morning sun. These birds are fascinating to watch. Most of their body is below water level when they swim, with only their head and neck sticking out of the water. They eat from the bottom of a lake or pond, so they completely submerge themselves only to pop up a few yards away. But best of all, when they're done they hop up onto a branch and spread their wings with their back to the sun. Unlike other birds, anhingas lack oil glands to protect their feathers from the water, and they cannot fly with their wings fully saturated.