I am sure that there really were 172 or 173 Little Black Cormorants at the yacht club, but they’re nowhere to be seen now. In recent weeks I have noticed a few flying flocks at the extremes of the day, including one large one (could be 100 plus), but they seem to be transient. The main water body of LBG doesn’t have much bird life at all at the moment - the usual wood ducks, a few darters including nests on the Molonglo, and a few seagulls (again with nests in the 2 more derelict boats near the yacht club).
In particular I haven’t seen any cormorant nests of any species. Perhaps the large flocks are wandering juveniles. If they are adults and you get a good view you should be able to see that striking blue eye. However I would expect the adults to be away breeding where they have found temporarily suitable fishy conditions. It may be that breeding corms have recourse to LBG and the Molonglo only in droughty times and the breeding here in recent years was a cyclical event rather than an increasing trend.
From: Chris Davey [
Sent: Thursday, 17 November 2011 10:30 PM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Little Black Cormorants- lack of breeding
A couple of days ago I note 172- possibly 173- Little Black Cormorant sitting on a wall at the Canberra Yacht Club, (Geoffrey, the mind boggles on what you are going to come up with!). On a more serious note, so far this year there has been no breeding by Little Blacks at either Molonglo Reach or at the entrance to Sullivans Creek.
If anyone happens to find them breeding on any of the urban lakes could you please let me know.
Chris
