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.
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
