A good reminder to check out Canada farm lake for the Cormorant nests in the next few days - along with a planned visit to Steep Holm at the end of the week to see the activity on the Northern cliffs.
I was going to say this is puzzling in view of my observations of the birds flying out of Canada in the evenings last week, but the birds now have breeding patches on, so perhaps they are spending days inland and heading to Durleigh reservoir or Steep Holm for nesting purposes?
Last year I was filming Carbo Sinensis, the European incomers, at Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire and the birds were nesting on the reserve, but flying out during the day to feed.
I'd love to know more about these fascinating birds.
A long time since this thread was started but a brief trip out the middle of the Bristol channel answered my own question.
While there are breeding birds at Canada lake and other locations around the Somerset levels, the bulk of local Cormorants arrive in the morning are coastal breeding.
Numerous times, especially in winter, I have seen groups of Cormorants fly out from the Chew Valley lakes as the light starts to fade. They fly out in the direction of Weston Super Mare and while the Canada lake hypothesis was possible, it didn't really make sense.
A trip to Sand bay at the right time of day suggested I might be correct, as the birds head out directly for the two mid-channel islands. In late May, I was fortunate to get a place on the first visits the year to Steepholm (which I can highly recommend for birders). On the Western side of the island, there is a sizeable breeding colony of Cormorants (Carbo carbo, not Carbo sinensis). I estimate flying time to the Chew Valley to be 15-20 minutes making the 'commute' to the rich feeding grounds, with abundant trout, perfectly feasible.
