IanD Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 Thousands of 'em, sah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 Yes, cormorants do exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hudds Lad Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 or Black Shag's if you're from NZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idle Days Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 Or just Shags if you are from the UK, didn't know they came in any other colour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen-in-Wellies Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 They always look very low in the water. Failed automatic bilge pump no doubt. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanD Posted February 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 35 minutes ago, Idle Days said: Or just Shags if you are from the UK, didn't know they came in any other colour. Nope, shags are different -- easiest way to tell is the forehead, cormorants are sloping and streamlined, shags kick up at about 45 degrees. I only know because I wasn't sure and I had to go and look it up... ? 1 hour ago, blackrose said: Yes, cormorants do exist. But not often in Northolt... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 4 minutes ago, IanD said: Nope, shags are different In that not everyone likes a good cormorant, but many people..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Athy said: In that not everyone likes a good cormorant, but many people..... Mr Athy tut tut. Only some now like a good tobacco. Shag Tobacco's (thebackyshop.co.uk) When I sailed at Draycote Water Cormorants invaded the reservoir. The fly fishermen there got most upset and had them culled - miserable gits. At least the birds fished to eat. Edited February 12, 2021 by Ray T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 11 minutes ago, IanD said: Nope, shags are different -- easiest way to tell is the forehead, cormorants are sloping and streamlined, shags kick up their legs at about 45 degrees. Amended that for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Bob Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 40 minutes ago, IanD said: Nope, shags are different -- easiest way to tell is the forehead, cormorants are sloping and streamlined, shags kick up at about 45 degrees. I only know because I wasn't sure and I had to go and look it up... ? But not often in Northolt... ? Indeed...and you dont get Shags on the canals. Here's one I took earlier....in Shetland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Bob Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 .......and here's a comorant with the sloping and streamlined head evident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-M Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 I think this is a tree of cormorants seen as we went down the Severn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Ray T said: Mr Athy tut tut. Do you find the popular dance style of Carolina's beach resorts in some way reprehensible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerra Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Idle Days said: Or just Shags if you are from the UK, didn't know they came in any other colour. Shags are a totally different bird and in good light are green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 (edited) 53 minutes ago, Athy said: Do you find the popular dance style of Carolina's beach resorts in some way reprehensible? Displaying my higgorance, not heard of that dance style. I thought you were alluding to a more carnal form of exercise. Must be my mucky mind. Edited February 12, 2021 by Ray T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 Had a small flock fly over 2 days ago, about 10 or a dozen of them. I always like them to flying crosses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idle Days Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 14 hours ago, Jerra said: Shags are a totally different bird and in good light are green. Well, thank you! That's my re-education brought up to date, at least of the subject of shags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dor Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 A few years ago had a cormorant for company on, I think , the Bridgewater. It dived in front of us, coming up a few seconds later then paddled ahead of us for a bit and dived again. This continued for about 15 minutes. I presume the boat disturbed the fish and made them flash silver which the cormorant picked up on. I've often seen the same with herons that seem to watch the water ahead of an approaching boat, and if it doesn't see anything it moves up a couple of hundred yards and watches again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starman Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 My angling brother-in-law can rant for hours about the havoc that cormorants wreak on fish stocks in rivers. ...and the damage caused by salmon farming ...and East Europeans taking fish from canals ...and the state of the 'continuous moorers' on his local canal We have a list of forbidden topics when he comes to visit – unless I fancy having a bit of a winding up session. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen-in-Wellies Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 32 minutes ago, dor said: A few years ago had a cormorant for company on, I think , the Bridgewater. It dived in front of us, coming up a few seconds later then paddled ahead of us for a bit and dived again. This continued for about 15 minutes. I presume the boat disturbed the fish and made them flash silver which the cormorant picked up on. I've often seen the same with herons that seem to watch the water ahead of an approaching boat, and if it doesn't see anything it moves up a couple of hundred yards and watches again. I've seen crested grebe do the same thing. I wonder if it is the noise of the prop deafening the fish to the approaching beak of death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idle Days Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 37 minutes ago, starman said: My angling brother-in-law can rant for hours about the havoc that cormorants wreak on fish stocks in rivers. ...and the damage caused by salmon farming ...and East Europeans taking fish from canals ...and the state of the 'continuous moorers' on his local canal We have a list of forbidden topics when he comes to visit – unless I fancy having a bit of a winding up session. And you could add the move to ban fishing in parts for France because "fish are not toys to be played with by anglers"; a sentiment with which I completely concur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 29 minutes ago, Idle Days said: And you could add the move to ban fishing in parts for France because "fish are not toys to be played with by anglers"; a sentiment with which I completely concur. I thought they took them home to eat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idle Days Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 7 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said: I thought they took them home to eat Apparently they are unable to do so because the river water in question is too polluted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWM Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 17 hours ago, Ray T said: Mr Athy tut tut. Only some now like a good tobacco. Shag Tobacco's (thebackyshop.co.uk) When I sailed at Draycote Water Cormorants invaded the reservoir. The fly fishermen there got most upset and had them culled - miserable gits. At least the birds fished to eat. Although they are an impressive bird it is true that they are a major problem on inland waters, and can quickly decimate fish stocks. A damned shame as it is a reflection of how bad the ocean environment has become. I watched a group of five porpoising in a diagonal line on a long pound as they herded the fish towards the downstream lock, and kept them there for several days as they picked them off. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cass1 Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 I was of the opinion that they were our coastal birds that had come inland for easier and richer pickings .I read recently an article in The countrymans weekly in which it said that these birds are a freshwater inhabitant that have come over here from the continent As to the numbers there is a roost on the weaver by saltersford lock and i counted over fourty one day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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