Cormorants and Seagulls in Hamilton

[yush_gta]

So a few weeks ago I was driving on the QEW and about to go over the skyway when I thought, let me pull over and have a look at the thousands of cormorants and seagulls. I stopped at the spot and whipped out the video camera.

https://vimeo.com/69901844


I love watching cormorants in action. Seeing them dive under for a couple minutes and see them resurface with a fish in their mouth. Awesome predators.

But then again, they decrease the fish population. Should we drop a bomb on this place?:

 

[richardjai]

So a few weeks ago I was driving on the QEW and about to go over the skyway when I thought, let me pull over and have a look at the thousands of cormorants and seagulls. I stopped at the spot and whipped out the video camera.

https://vimeo.com/69901844


I love watching cormorants in action. Seeing them dive under for a couple minutes and see them resurface with a fish in their mouth. Awesome predators.

But then again, they decrease the fish population. Should we drop a bomb on this place?:

Holy moly he ate a baby pike. thats crazy

 

[Shawarma]

That is absolutely insane! are they still there in those numbers? i'd love to drive down and look at them.

And O_O at the cormorants devouring those fish! It's cool seeing mother nature in action. We stand on the shores an entire day and don't get a single bite.. they dive in a few minutes later they're feasting.

 

[yush_gta]

That is absolutely insane! are they still there in those numbers? i'd love to drive down and look at them.

And O_O at the cormorants devouring those fish! It's cool seeing mother nature in action. We stand on the shores an entire day and don't get a single bite.. they dive in a few minutes later they're feasting.

good question. at that time several weeks ago i could see there were tonnes of nests for the cormorants so i guess it was their breeding season. those chicks would be flying by now so many could be gone. but perhaps it's a semi permanent colony for both kinds of birds.

anyone here drive by there regularly?

by the way, that place absolutely reeks. apparently on a windy day the smell can carry over to the east side of the skyway to that neighbourhood. sucks for them.

 

[fishing fr3ak]

ya there are a ton of them down there. and they stink. but they do keep the goby pop down.

 

[kaministiquia]

I've flown over lakes and watched them in action the Cormorants dive driving a school of fish to the surface while the Sea Gulls attack the surfacing fish.
They can work a lake over pretty fast emptying it of bait fish and wound larger fish which will probably die latter.
They also kill every living thing on an island from their droppings which stink to high heavens as mentioned.
They are hard to get close to so maybe the only way of control would be the old farmers trick of pouring oil over the eggs before they hatch but this method is controversial.

 

[yush_gta]

Yup. Have read about people wanting to destroy them or remove them from some habitat. Read similar things about killing their eggs so the birds eventually realize they can't come there anymore to lay eggs. But they are protected by some environmental act.

 

[fishernick]

was out yesterday and saw one go underwater, 30 seconds later comes up with a massive either resident bow or brown(close to a foot long) and swallows it whole. i was amazed and pissed! lol

 

[kaministiquia]

was out yesterday and saw one go underwater, 30 seconds later comes up with a massive either resident bow or brown(close to a foot long) and swallows it whole. i was amazed and pissed! lol

Yeah... I've seen large Coasters (Brook Trout) on Lake Nipigon with huge gapping wounds with the birds perched in dead trees hanging over the water just watching/waiting...

 

[getin]

These buggers can wipe out the entire baitfish population of a small lake in days. Fishing from a pier two weeks ago, there were a group of 5-6 comorants. in the 2 hour fishing I did that day, each one of these had over 10 fish. Did not seem they ever get full, and every dive was a success. Did not see a goby, all were alewife.

I hear they are not native (brought from East Asia and Middle East) so not sure why they should be protected

 

[AaronKrick]

They can take down a 2 lb bass with ease. IMO, shoot them to hell.

 

[kaministiquia]

They can take down a 2 lb bass with ease. IMO, shoot them to hell.

I was thinking fertilizer & diesel fuel @ first let the people of Hamilton have a little fun! lol

 

[miles]

They are not natural to this area. I know seagulls are protected but I don't know about cormorants. They should put a bounty on them, Looks like you could take down a good number right there.

 

[hamiltonangler94]

Haha now we gotta deal with the white bucket fishermen and these stupid cormorants!

 

[FishingNoob]

It must be pretty cool to see that! Before, you guys kill em, save a few so I can train them to fish for me! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormorant_fishing

 

[kaministiquia]

It must be pretty cool to see that! Before, you guys kill em, save a few so I can train them to fish for me! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormorant_fishing

You have too admit that they are smart birds and everybody knows we are the most destructive species on earth... Our species has got those birds beat hands down in that regard!

 

[FishingNoob]

You have too admit that they are smart birds and everybody knows we are the most destructive species on earth... Our species has got those birds beat hands down in that regard!

That's true!