cormorants

loony · #1 (**permalink**) 24-11-2009, 09:52 AM

a few weeks ago i was at rspb sandwell valley and although there was not too much about i did see 18 cormorants on the wooden fence which is across part of the lake ! 18 --i`d never seen so many here before so was quite a surprise.
in walsall arboretum last week i did see several goldcrests and good number of longtailed tits--i was doing my WEBs count at the time . sue .

Morph · #2 (**permalink**) 24-11-2009, 10:07 AM

At this time of year they like to make inland roosts that can be quite large in number, often near fishing lakes just to annoy the anglers.

Teal · #3 (**permalink**) 24-11-2009, 03:21 PM

You mean like these eight in the Rheidol valley Morph?

aeshna5 · #4 (**permalink**) 24-11-2009, 04:05 PM

I was doing my WeBs counts last Sunday too + counted 54 Cormorants on the Thames between Putney- Barnes Bridges + another 14 on the nearby Lonsdale Road LNR. For me always a pleasure to see + evidence of a much cleaner river here than when I was a child.

loripo · #5 (**permalink**) 24-11-2009, 04:21 PM

These roost on an island in Battersea Park Lake, there were upwards of 50 when this was taken.

Trik · #6 (**permalink**) 24-11-2009, 04:31 PM

I wonder how they manage to hang on with those big, webbed feet?

loripo · #7 (**permalink**) 24-11-2009, 05:27 PM

They dont actually look very comfortable

I was really surprised to see them high up in the trees. We've watched them flying in to land and there is a lot of wobbling about. I suppose they are quite lightweight - but not what you'd call perching birds!

Ukwildlifeo · #8 (**permalink**) 25-11-2009, 06:35 AM

We get some moving in to my local park in winter, and they sit 10 or so metres up in some tall trees. The numbers reached 40 last winter and the local fisherman were very pleased as you can imagine...

Trik · #9 (**permalink**) 25-11-2009, 01:43 PM

IIRC, passerine birds` feet lock on when they fall asleep, but what about web-footed birds? If they do roost in trees, cormorants must sleep very uneasily, especially on windy nights

Still, it is probably safer than on the ground if there are no islands away from the shore for them to use.

loripo · #10 (**permalink**) 06-12-2009, 08:25 AM

There is a Nature Notes article each week in our local paper and yesterdays was about gulls perching in trees, which I see often, Here are a couple from our nearby park.

They curl their toes round the railings and just flap a bit to stay in place.
I'm keeping a watch out for a duck to try it