Meanwhile, local pairs are already feeding young, so it seems these transient birds are running a bit late. Presumably they are still on their way north to nest. Presently there are more than 50 there, and the majority of them are breeding age adults. Bald Eagles normally gather in large numbers at Conowingo Dam in the late fall and early winter. A Great Blue Heron from a nearby rookery can be seen at the center of the image. Double-crested Cormorants, mostly adult birds migrating toward breeding grounds to the north, are gathered on the rocks on the east side of the river channel below Conowingo Dam. Fish are coming up the river and these birds are taking advantage of their concentrations on the downstream side of the impoundment to provide food to fuel their migration or, in some cases, to feed their young. Smaller wings may make it more difficult to get airborne, but when folded, they provide improved streamlining for submerged swimming.ĭouble-crested Cormorants, hundreds of them, are presently gathered along with several other species of piscivorous (fish-eating) birds on the lower Susquehanna River below Conowingo Dam near Rising Sun, Maryland. Like many species of birds that dive for their food, Double-crested Cormorants run across the surface of the water to gain speed for a takeoff. You see, cormorants are superb swimmers when under water-using their webbed feet to propel and maneuver themselves with exceptional speed in pursuit of prey. Meet the Double-crested Cormorant, a strangely handsome bird with a special talent for catching fish.
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