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Circling Cormorants (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter NicoleB
- Start date
Interesting. All that BNA on-line has to say on the subject is that Great Cormorants sometimes “soar in thermals” but it doesn’t give a reason for this behavior. According to the same source, Double-crested Cormorants—the common species where I live—also “occasionally soar in thermals”--again no reason given--but I’ve never witnessed this myself.
Grey herons sometimes soar and circle very high up too. Not sure why.
Here's something from British Birds interactive that might be relevant re. cormorants...
Great Cormorant 'playing' in up-currents, and reactions of birds to model sailplane
(British Birds 87 (7), 333-336)
On 8th October 1990, at Watergate Bay, Cornwall, I was flying a radio-controlled model sailplane in orographic lift above the cliffs, where Eurasian Jackdaws Corvus monedula and gulls Larus were 'playing' in the upcurrent at the cliff edge. The cliffs are about 70 m high and almost vertical. The onshore breeze was slight, and the lift was just sufficient for my sailplane, to maintain height.
The jackdaws were flying very close to the lip of the clifftop and performing half-rolls, diving steeply down the cliff face and then zooming back upwards to repeat the performance in a follow-my-leader fashion. I was surprised when they were joined by a juvenile Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, which demonstrated excellent soaring skills and followed the jackdaws' flight pattern, including the rapid half-rolls and steep dives. Although cormorants use thermal and orographic lift while in transit, I had never before seen one apparently 'playing' in this manner.
I have noticed that, when I launch a model sailplane into orographic lift above the coastline, the model is frequently joined by gulls, Common Buzzards Buteo buteo, Common Ravens C. corax and falcons Falco, which seem to be triggered into a soaring contest by the sight of the models; the best soaring companion so far has been a Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos in Perthshire, Scotland. These birds often join the soaring sailplane out of an empty sky and then follow it closely for some considerable time. The model is virtually silent except for slight wind hiss at high speed and, perhaps, the sound of electric servos at very close range, so I assume that it is the sight of the model soaring that attracts other birds to the area of rising air.
JOHN STEWART-SMITH
Cliff-nesting Great Cormorants regularly 'play' in the upcurrents at their breeding sites, but Mr Stewart-Smith's observation seems of particular interest in view of the flight manoeuvres involved, as well as the reactions of the birds to model sailplanes. EDS
Here's something from British Birds interactive that might be relevant re. cormorants...
Great Cormorant 'playing' in up-currents, and reactions of birds to model sailplane
(British Birds 87 (7), 333-336)
On 8th October 1990, at Watergate Bay, Cornwall, I was flying a radio-controlled model sailplane in orographic lift above the cliffs, where Eurasian Jackdaws Corvus monedula and gulls Larus were 'playing' in the upcurrent at the cliff edge. The cliffs are about 70 m high and almost vertical. The onshore breeze was slight, and the lift was just sufficient for my sailplane, to maintain height.
The jackdaws were flying very close to the lip of the clifftop and performing half-rolls, diving steeply down the cliff face and then zooming back upwards to repeat the performance in a follow-my-leader fashion. I was surprised when they were joined by a juvenile Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, which demonstrated excellent soaring skills and followed the jackdaws' flight pattern, including the rapid half-rolls and steep dives. Although cormorants use thermal and orographic lift while in transit, I had never before seen one apparently 'playing' in this manner.
I have noticed that, when I launch a model sailplane into orographic lift above the coastline, the model is frequently joined by gulls, Common Buzzards Buteo buteo, Common Ravens C. corax and falcons Falco, which seem to be triggered into a soaring contest by the sight of the models; the best soaring companion so far has been a Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos in Perthshire, Scotland. These birds often join the soaring sailplane out of an empty sky and then follow it closely for some considerable time. The model is virtually silent except for slight wind hiss at high speed and, perhaps, the sound of electric servos at very close range, so I assume that it is the sight of the model soaring that attracts other birds to the area of rising air.
JOHN STEWART-SMITH
Cliff-nesting Great Cormorants regularly 'play' in the upcurrents at their breeding sites, but Mr Stewart-Smith's observation seems of particular interest in view of the flight manoeuvres involved, as well as the reactions of the birds to model sailplanes. EDS
NicoleB
Nature addict
@fugl - I was waiting for my husband one day at the golf course and they did it for at least 5 minutes and then again on and off.
Maybe they just like the thermals....
@Stephen - that's a cool read.
Must be one hell of a sight to see the golden eagle soar alongside that plane.
'Soaring contest'
Well, whatever it is, it seems they love it
Maybe they were just like 'Now, you down there with that camera, did you finally get a good shot or do we have to do this much longer?'
Maybe they just like the thermals....
@Stephen - that's a cool read.
Must be one hell of a sight to see the golden eagle soar alongside that plane.
'Soaring contest'
Well, whatever it is, it seems they love it
Maybe they were just like 'Now, you down there with that camera, did you finally get a good shot or do we have to do this much longer?'
