So I just caught a cormorant

eirator

OK so not something you do everyday so I felt the need to tell someone about it .

For a while now there's been a cormorant on the beach thats been behaving strangely (lying out up on the beach then falling over when running away), but with 2 dogs on a walk I've not really had the chance to take a close look. At the weekend one of the local bird watchers pointed out a comerant with a piece of fishing net stuck over its head which I guess was the bird I'd seen before. You couldn't really see the net unless you were looking for it.

Last night I noticed the same bird roosting on the ground in an area that is accessable via waders accross a river. Again spotted the bird in the same spot this morning so this afternoon decided to do something about it.

Armed with a net made from a light trailer cargo net with some weights in the corners a heavy towel, gloves, thick jacket, waders and most important of all wire cutters I set off.

I was expecting a chase but the bird was in a good location up against a sea wall and just around the corner from my approach. I'd practiced at home first and as I turned the corner to the bird I got the net right over him. tbh I'd have thought I was in for more of a fight but after slipping a thick towel over the birds body I found it easy to hold its neck and cut away the monofilament fishing net. I don't think the net was doing any physical damage but it was hanging there and getting in the birds way every time it tried to walk or fly.

After a very quick check to see there wasn't any more net arounds its neck, feet or wings I let it go and it waddled off to the water jumped in and paddled away.

I should have taken a camera with me but thought it was kinder to the cormorant to be as quick as possible getting the net off and releasing it again.

swifts need our help!

well done

eirator

Not sure how much good I've done as I think the bird is exhasted as he's still hanging around the same area which isn't that good as its a bit of beach thats well patroled by foxes at night. Normally the cormorants that fish off the beach fly off to cliffs to the Eest of here at night. I'll check again when the dogs get their late walk down the fields, on the plus side he was floating high in the water so he's well dried off and he was flying OK yesterday.

Half-cocked

eirator wrote: »

Not sure how much good I've done as I think the bird is exhasted as he's still hanging around the same area which isn't that good as its a bit of beach thats well patroled by foxes at night. Normally the cormorants that fish off the beach fly off to cliffs to the Eest of here at night. I'll check again when the dogs get their late walk down the fields, on the plus side he was floating high in the water so he's well dried off and he was flying OK yesterday.

If he's strong enough to fly, he should be OK. Well done.

eirator

Checked back this morning and no sign of it in its recent haunt and no sign of feathers so looking good. Will be down walking the dogs on the beach at low tide so can make a proper check then.

Gosub

Good job! You did the best you could do. It's up to the bird now. I wish more people were this caring.

eirator

I couldn't have it on my conscience to just leave it there particularly when the bird was literaly at the bottom of our garden. I was very surprised how easy it was to catch, my worse worry was that it would be in a state that I couldn't do anything about with the netting cutting into it.

On the other hand its sometimes a good idea to leave well alone. We get the occasional seal pup left on the beach by their mothers and everyone that sees them thinks they are stranded and wants to throw them back in the water. I might even make up a sign saying "Leave the £%$^ seal pups alone their mothers will be back". Those that can swim will get back there themselves if necessary and those that can't swim need to be left alone.

Half-cocked

It's worth mentioning that large numbers of Irish cormorants are now ringed. If you find a dead or sick one, please check for a ring.

eirator

Half-cocked wrote: »

It's worth mentioning that large numbers of Irish cormorants are now ringed. If you find a dead or sick one, please check for a ring.

I looked but didn't see one, off topic, is there anywhere I can report dead seals and dolphins, I must see 2-3 on the beach each year and I took some pictures of a dead dolphin/porpoise washed up last week.

snowstreams

eirator wrote: »

I looked but didn't see one, off topic, is there anywhere I can report dead seals and dolphins, I must see 2-3 on the beach each year and I took some pictures of a dead dolphin/porpoise washed up last week.

One place you can report the dead dolphins to is the Irish Whale and dolphin group.
http://www.iwdg.ie

They take sightings of sharks too so they might be interested in seals as well.

V Bull

Here is a link to the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group website. You can report your findings here, dead or alive.

www.iwdg.ie[/url

Ooops, snowstreams got there first..

eirator

snowstreams wrote: »

One place you can report the dead dolphins to is the Irish Whale and dolphin group.
http://www.iwdg.ie

They take sightings of sharks too so they might be interested in seals as well.

Thanks I'll fire them off some pictures and location to the email address for strandings photos.

siledee

eirator wrote: »

Checked back this morning and no sign of it in its recent haunt and no sign of feathers so looking good. Will be down walking the dogs on the beach at low tide so can make a proper check then.

With no sign of predation I think you can reasonably assume that you have given it a fighting chance.

Extremely well done!!

eirator

I've added a pair of wire cutters to my beach walking bag just in case I need them again. The amount of netting up on the beach is unreal, I've given up picking it up as it often comes in by the boat load and in a mass you just can't move. If it wasn't so bad inviromentally I'd burn the stuff where it lands. Our beach does seem to collect it though so hopefully if its washing up here then other beaches aren't as bad. As an example the storms last summer put about 60 crab/lobster pots with miles of rope and floats on the beach and currently there is a monofilament net with floats that would fill a decent sized car car boot.