Monday, December 12, 2016

Cormorants

It is common to see long lines of Double-Crested Cormorants out on Pamlico Sound or over the ocean this time of year. In the early mornings or late afternoons they can be seen flying low over the water in a fluid V formation, either heading out to feed, or returning to low sandy islands for the night.

Photo by Saperaud~commonswiki


















In the last few days, hundreds...no thousands...of these black birds have been congregating in large groups every few miles along the ocean beach.














The large number of cormorants in eastern North Carolina has created issues for fishermen and others concerned with water quality. To read more, click here: http://www.thewashingtondailynews.comi/2015/01/26/cormorants-an-ongoing-problem-for-n-c-waterways/

More information about the Double-Crested Cormorant is available here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-crested_cormorant.

Our current Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1938 article about Capt. Gary Bragg, waterfowl hunting, and wooden decoy carving. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112116.htm. 
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4 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:27 AM

    The Washington Daily News article is shocking. It is a piece that belongs on the Letters to the Editor page as the man is expressing his Opinion. I wish he would get his facts straight. It is Canada Goose not Canadian Geese. Shaking eggs in a nest is just mean. Marauding birds well I think they were joining forces to protect themselves. Much Like the letter linked here, is a call to arms. The birds are God's creatures and just because some one got pooped on is no justification to violate the protected species Act.

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    1. Anonymous5:04 PM

      if you have ever walked across your lawn after those protected species have had their way with it and you kids can't play on it anymore you'd see why we need to shoot everyone of those 'GODS creatures' Most birds are filthy to begin with. These geese need to go. When you can't protect what you own or use then something is out of balance.

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    2. Anonymous9:30 AM

      Compost Happens.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous9:23 AM

    I find Cormorants to be very interesting birds. On visits to Peru I recall seeing tens of thousands of them. It wasn't uncommon to see them fly by in a continual stream for most of the days. I remember thinking there must have been millions of them.

    Did you know that Cormorants can be trained to fish? In Japan for centuries they have been used to catch fish, especially in rivers. It was actually once an industry of sorts. Today it is apparently more of a tourist attraction.

    I have always wanted to visit the island during the winter. Perhaps this will be my excuse, to see the Cormorants!

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