Two double-crested cormorants met up for a rendevous at the Marina Vista Bridge yesterday morning. We had never seen more than one at a time, and wondered if they might be a breeding pair. The one in the front has a speckled chest and is an immature, (but maybe not that immature…) Cormorants are very social birds, and nest in colonies. The unpaired males attract a female by showing her all the cool stuff he found for a nest, although the lucky woman gets to do most of the building. Their nests are scrubby and uninviting to us, and they are known for using seaweed, netting, pebbles and even the skeletons of dead birds. Any place to call home, I guess.
The young are famous for hanging out together in the colony in losely formed groups called “creches”. (No word on whether they also tag buildings…) Our own Cheryl Reynolds says that these little charmers are some of the least loved birds in a rehab center, because they have sharp vicious beaks and no qualms about using them. She also says that they can be platform nesters, like atop power poles. I can’t imagine where these two might call home if they decided to set up camp. It will be fun to watch though.
No sign of the otter yesterday, and Lory saw him Sunday going around the dam rather than through the pipe. I’m wondering just how much fish he’s eaten and if maybe he doesn’t fit through that little pipe as well anymore!
