>Hi Tweets,
>Yesterday afternoon and evening Susan McDougall and I were out canoeing in
>the Snohomish River estuary getting GPS readings on the location of this
>year's osprey nests. (Susan had kindly offered the use of her GPS
>receiver.) As we approached the long row of pilings that hold
>hundreds of Double-crested Cormorant nests, we were surprized to see
>that there were many nests that contained birds that had not yet fledged.
>Indeed, one nest had chicks that were only a week or week and
>a half old. Anyone know if these little fellas are going to make it this
>year or is having broods this late normal for DC Cormorants?
>Also counted 18 osprey nests and saw a Peregrine Falcon. It was a great
>day to be out on the water.
>
>Ed Schulz

I've heard of similarly late nesting in Brandt's Cormorant this year, and I
saw 3/4-grown Pelagics once in the San Juans in October. This must be a
regular thing for cormorants, and there's no reason to believe they won't
fledge, as the adults are able to capture prey independent of most of our
weather variation. Why did they start so late? I don't know.

Brandt's have just been found nesting on Williamson Rock by Keith and Jan
Wiggers, the first nesting record from protected waters of the state and a
sign this species might be recolonizing WA as a breeder. It had been
restricted to a single colony at Cape Disappointment for years.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416