Cormorant Team Work

[Jeffwill]

Had a day off today so headed for the river. Early this morning I was sitting concealed behind some vegetation and overhanging willows on a long wide deep stretch of the river.

 

I could hear to my left some water splashing which I thought could only be swans but did not sound quite right. It was like water being lifted and dropped back on the surface. Just sounded odd and unlike anything I had heard before.

 

Anyway through the willows as they came closer... I could make out a couple of cormorants. They were surfacing and immediately diving and as they were heading directly my way I stood up and clapped loudly.

 

A couple surfaced and took off, them more surfaced and took off, then more until around 30 had surfaced and took off. The number of birds rising from below the surface, it was totally unexpected. They were working the river as a group, from watching them surfacing I could see they were spread out across the width of the river and were not in a straight line but staggered I guess 2 or 3 deep. Has anyone seen this before or similar?

 

They formed into a flock and did the obligatory fly past to check me out. They flew off in a flock so I guess they do "team work".

 

I digress slightly but this stretch was also the place where I saw another amazing sight a couple of autumns ago, a huge flight of swallows, hundreds of birds. they turned up one evening and over say a minute were swooping down to drink and then left. It was the sheer number and the thought that they were filling up for the trip South. Again an awesome sight and lucky to see it.

[Elton]

Doesn't sound like you'll be catching much from that river

[lutra]

A couple surfaced and took off, them more surfaced and took off, then more until around 30 had surfaced and took off. The number of birds rising from below the surface, it was totally unexpected. They were working the river as a group, from watching them surfacing I could see they were spread out across the width of the river and were not in a straight line but staggered I guess 2 or 3 deep. Has anyone seen this before or similar?

Not for a few years now, but yes and its enough to make you want to cry when you see it on your local river. Sadly unlike the swallows they will probably be still about for weeks.

Youtube Video ->

Youtube Video ->

Edited October 30, 2009 by lutra

[poledark]

I've seen them "lining up" about 10 abreast, and then setting off up the lake. This was repeated several times a day.

 

Den

[Andy Macfarlane]

I don't think they're actually working in unison to achieve an end-goal that works for each member of the group.

 

I'd think each bird is probably completely selfish and is taking advantage of the mêlée caused by such a large number of birds grouping shoals of fish together.

 

Working together as a unit suggests a common goal or an end share by working together, like wolf-packs.

 

I somehow cannot see a cormorant sharing it's meal with any other cormorants.

 

 

 

....andy.....

[Jeffwill]

Doesn't sound like you'll be catching much from that river

 

 

Elton,

 

This was on the day ticket of the famous Red Lion / Mocca's fishery on the River Wye at Bredwardine. The cormorants were obviously using their numbers to shoal fish and make it easier pickings.

 

Its good that Poledark & Lutra also have experience of seeing this type of thing as it backs up what I saw. It was amazing seeing all these birds appearing out of the river..

 

John Wilson has mentioned a number of times his experience of Cormorant predation and reckons the once famous River Wensum roach population has been destroyed by them. He has repeatedly called for better control of Cormorant numbers but thats another story and I dont want to get into time consuming thread

 

Jeff

[Dog Fish]

We have been plauged with them on a local estate lake I have seen over 50 fishing together the lake used to be full of roach ,still plenty of herons and grebes to and i saw 2 kingfishers last week amazaing how theres any fish left and theres a good head of pike

[Anderoo]

It's worth keeping an eye on waters that have been heavily predated on by cormorants - there may not be many fish left but the ones that are will have acres of space and more food than they know what to do with, and in a few years there could be some very large specimens (if you can find them!).

[chesters1]

even those to big to eat will suffer and die.The corms grab them but cannot hold on ,the fish escape but with two cuts the beak make if they are lucky they heal if not secondary infection sets in and they eventually die

seen large dead fish with the tell-tale marks which are unlike heron stab wounds that can also kill fish that escape.

 

once corms find a decent lake they are hard to shift i wrote on here about using ten rockets and many stones trying to shift just the one ,i went home exhausted with no hair on one hand and the other almost paralysed (throwing stones at the bugger) leaving it joyfully sunning itself on an island .now we have a licence to shoot them on the lake we haven't seen one

In the summer most lakes are fine the weed growth hides the fish ,unfortunately in the winter when most (around here) visit theres little

Edited November 2, 2009 by chesters1

[ubat]

They can, and will, wipe out fisheries, the low rainfall has not helped either, with no colour in the water the fish are easy prey. Do not doubt the ability of these birds, if they are on the Wye then this great river will suffer