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Cormorant feeding-frenzy



Stopping at the highway 751 bridge over Jordan Lake yesterday afternoon 
about 3:00, I had great views of group-feeding behavior by a large flock of 
double-crested cormorants. It may have just been an illusion, but they 
actually appeared to be working together to herd a school of shad against 
the shoreline where the fish were concentrated for easy pickings.

I first noticed roughly 150 birds swimming in a tightly-packed group from 
the channel beneath the bridge.  Individuals were constantly diving and 
emerging . At any one time perhaps half the birds were submerged.  With 
binoculars, I could see that many surfacing were with palm-sized silver fish 
which were quickly swallowed. Their forward progress slowed, and they spread 
out some, about 30 feet from the shore where they seemed to have the school 
trapped. Then for a few moments it looked as if every emerging bird had a 
fish. It was quite a sight. Splashing was audible from where I crouched 
about 50 yards away. The birds scattered and flew when I tried to work my 
way closer.

I have been kayaking on the lake several times lately and always see plenty 
of cormorants but never anything like this. I think I had better views of 
the birds than I would have from my boat, because I was able to use the bank 
and roadside vegetation for cover. There were no boats in sight and no bank 
fishermen in the area - somewhat unusual for a warm, sunny day.

A large raft of over 200 non-feeding cormorants swam together far from shore 
to the east and many more individuals perched on branches of emergent 
vegetation. Some immature ring-billed gulls were also in the area.

Dave Murdock
Raleigh