Our Cormorants off souff again

 Cormo colony: Trumps 7th green on his new golf course is a bit of a challenge.

Our cormorants are once again going their different ways for the winter. HXY is first off down souff again, reported back on Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire by Paul Willis on 27/9/12 for its second winter and PJB passing through Northumberland for 2nd autumn, seen by Steve Holliday at Blyth Harbour on 4th October.

HXY in its first winter by Matt Prior 

Since the project began in 2003, thanks to the many observers who have reported darvic ringed birds, we have been able to build up a very interesting picture of the species winter movements and site fidelity. It’s fair to say our cormorant chicks make a generally southwards but otherwise fairly random dispersal in their first winter. However once settled down at a site for the winter, whether it be close to home, or on an inland water body in central England, or on the east or west coasts, or even further south into France or Portugal, they will then religiously return to this site winter after winter. 

Cormo FCX last 5 winters spent on Watermead Country Park, Leicestershire (photo by David Gray) and christened “JOCKY” by Steve Lister and David Gray

JOCKY” on eggs back at home by Chris Jones.

Thanks very much to all who have reported darviced cormorants over the years. It is hoped to send an updated history of “your” bird to you ASAP to let you know if it was seen back at a breeding colony in Aberdeenshire in 2012. Keep your eyes peeled again this winter please. 

Raymond Duncan

Recent Cormorant Sightings

A Cormorant chick colour ringed DXV at Forvie in 2007 was seen on 03/02/11 by Afonso Rocha on the Tagus Estuary, Lisbon, Portugal. We have previously had birds resighted in Spain and France, but this is our furthest south yet.

HHC and HLF by Tristan Folland

Another interesting sighting was HHC and HLF, both seen together in a group of only 13 birds by Tristan Folland on 09/02/11 at Waterbeach Gravel Pits, Cambridgeshire. They are both from different colonies from different years, HHC was ringed at Forvie in 2008 and HLF at Inverbervie in 2009. This shows how important these inland water bodies in central England are for wintering cormorants from NE Scotland (and other areas presumably).

HHC in breeding plumage at Forvie by Chris Jones

HHC has returned each summer to the Forvie colony and leaves in early September. It has not attempted to breed yet, maybe this year it will return and do so.

CUU at Seaforth, Merseyside by Chris Gregson 07/02/11

Cormorants have been colour ringed by GRG since 2005. We have had an extremely high resighting rate, an average of 1 in 4 birds. Thank you to all observers and photographers.

A "Trippie" up North

A “trippie” up North to Peterhead and Fraserburgh is always fun, whether it’s cannon netting waders, spring trapping rock pipits or just looking for rings to read. Recent excursions have produced a few interesting sightings.

Several of “our” shag chicks now fledged and doing fine.

Scandinavian GBBGs, 2 chicks ringed in southern Norway in 2009 + an older bird ringed as a chick in 2001 at Vardo in the north of Norway. We received a quick response with excellent feedback from Nils Helge Lorentzen which included a weblink http://www.ringmerking.no/cr/ which offers past and any future information on the ringed birds reported. We still await information on a Scottish darvic ringed chick.

We did finally manage to ring a trapped shag from the fish box cage because Raymond remembered rings (Jane chose the comb!), but alas he didn’t have rings for the juvy cormorant (ggrrr)!

Hannah and Jessica with a juvy cormorant and juvy shag ringed PIS.

Photos Raymond

Jocky the Cormo FCX

News of darviced cormorant FCX (now christened Jocky by observer/photographer David Gray) back at Watermeads Country Park, Leicestershire for its 3rd winter.



Photos at home on the nest (Chris Jones) and away (David Gray) shown.

Raymond