As a fisherman, it is fair to say that Cormorants are not at the top of the list of my favourite avian species. However they have been very successful in recent years, and this is one of the factors. This morning, after a long lie-in until 9 am, 8 of them drifted down from the Oak Tree at L.CyD and commenced their communal feeding tactics, forming a rough line, diving, and driving a shoal of small fish before them, with conspicuous success. Most of us will have seen this before.
But here's what I found the interesting bit. The Great White Egret purposefully flew to the area of bank closest to the Cormorant flock, and in the next minute caught and ate 5 fish - more than it had had during the previous 20 minutes of observation.
There are obvious parallels with marine mammals, gulls and gannets, and I suppose with the scavenging of animal carcasses by species that could not have effected the kill themselves.
Also present 1 male Gadwall, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, 20 Tufted Duck, 7 Wigeon, 1 Dabchick.
Great how birds interact . Chris could you let me have your email address so I can send another copy of the Chiffchaff/sedge warbler
ReplyDeletePhotographed a little egret doing precisely the same thing at lcyd 2 years ago - amazing how they take advantage
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