There is a cormorant roost about 75 yards from our house. Friday I stepped out on the deck and was craning my head, trying to look through the cedars and alders to try and guess how many Double-crested Cormorants were resting in the tall Douglas Fir, where they make a sound like grunting pigs day and night (not that I'm complaining). I didn't need to bother wondering about the numbers, because that moment, a sleek hawk buzzed the roost and sent all the cormorants scattering in a panic. I didn't have my binoculars with me, and don't have the skill to identify a fast-flying hawk in mere seconds, so I'm just going to guess that it was either a Peregrine Falcon or a Cooper's Hawk based on the size and speed. It turned out that there were 30-35 cormorants on the roost, and they moved back to the tree after circling the lake.

By the way, I was looking at a Michigan equivalent of Tweeters yesterday, and saw that an Ancient Murrelet and a Harlequin Duck have been observed feeding along the lake. They're a long way from home. The first Snowy Owl has also shown up there.

Lee Rentz
lee at leerentz.com
Shelton, WA