wwh,

I must tell you every time I think of this thread, I hear this phrase you typed hastily--and it's really very funny when you think about it, although you didn't readily agree with my seeing humor in those cormorants feasting at the farmers' expense:

to hide foot at their feet

I just keep hearing one bird say to the other, "Shh! Be quiet! I'm hunting! Can't you see that I'm hiding the foot at my feet?"