Fish eating machine

[Dick Dastardly]

Den,I took it that what the guy meant was that the growth in commercials had raised the available amount of food in general,thus making it viable for the inland population to increase.Once established inland they obviously feed every where not just on the commercials.

 

I didnt get the impression he was "blaming" commercials for anything just presenting the contributing factors his findings had lead him to believe were responsible for the present situation.

 

His main point was to disprove the common assumption that the overall cormmorant population had increased.

 

What was interesting was his claims that on most waters the numbers of other piscavourous birds had also increased despite the increase in competition from the cormmorants.The water I used as an example certainly didnt show this.That said his information was gained on country wide surveys.

 

He hinted that this was because of a general increase in food available.

 

As I said Im just relaying what was said.All Ive noticed for sure is that there has been an increase of most water birds on the waters I frequent.Especially the larger ones like Cormmorants,Geese and Swans

[Guest tigger]

I am not suggesting that the grebes should be removed, but it sticks in my throat a bit to see all those young Tench getting eaten for no purpose whatever except to keep the Grebe alive long enough to eat some more.

 

Den

 

 

With respect that statment is a bit naff.

Why do you eat? Isn't it so you can stay alive long enough to eat again? I thought that was the idea of eating.....to stay alive long enough to eat some more and so on....

You should be gratefull that you have the chance to watch those birds in action.

 

 

Tigger.

[Peter Sharpe]

That was a pretty small tench. Grebes don't eat anything much above 3 oz or so and they are natural to our inland waters unlike Mink and cormorants.

 

I hate to disillusion you, but I have seen a grebe swallow a pike of about one and a half pounds. Until I saw this I had no idea that they could even attempt something like this. The like seemed as long as the grebe's body, yet it managed it somehow. I can't think how it subdued it either. I have also watcheda grebe at the Wissey Outfall swallowing around a dozen eels one after another and these were all 10 - 12 inches long! I couldn't work out how it kept its body above water after eating that lot. I don't resent them doing this because they are part of our long-developed natural eco-system. Cormorants on the other hand...

[Waveney One]

Hi Peter, I am surprised at that but I must admit that some creatures can swallow food the same size as themselves. Pike for instance.

 

I have never seen Grebes eat large fish but I accept that doesn't mean to say they don't. I once had a 6oz roach livebait chased by a grebe but it didn't eat it.

 

Certainly the tench in the excellent photo was a very small one and its chances of reaching maturity along with the vast majority of its brothers and sisters was very small.

[Grandma]

Tigger, the evidence of my eyes is that they will and do, eat almost non stop. Watched them eat a load more today. I don't know how fast they digest their catch, but they keep coming back for more...I would have thought that just one of those fish would have kept them happy for at least 1 day.

 

Gozzer, most of the carp in there were stocked at up to almost 30lbs when it was drained, dredged and refilled.

 

I am not suggesting that the grebes should be removed, but it sticks in my throat a bit to see all those young Tench getting eaten for no purpose whatever except to keep the Grebe alive long enough to eat some more.

 

Den

 

Strange that you should get so upset about indigenous predators. Do you feel the same way about pike? They're quite partial to tench, they just don't sit on the surface to swallow them.