Cormorant
HABITAT found around the UK coastline on rocky shores, coastal lagoons and estuaries, it is increasingly being seen inland at reservoirs, lake and gravel pits. VOICE A hearty rhythmical and rumbling honk, followed by a deep croak, which sounds rather like a bullfrog At times, the tree creeper brought twigs that were too big for it to take into the tree crevice and, although it tried every which way to fit it into the gap, it just had to give up but Cormorant dives almost lazily; sometimes half a dive.
Shag
HABITAT during the breeding season at their large Scottish colonies on Orkney, Shetland, the Inner Hebrides and the firth of forth. Elsewhere they can be seen commonly around the coasts of Wales and south west England.
VOICE a deep, throaty croak that pulses and creaks, like the rusty hinges on an old door swimming in the wind. when shag dives for fish it does so with a clear leap out of the water, but Cormorant dives almost lazily; sometimes half a dive, while at other times it just seems to glide underneath without any effort.
Cormorant and Shag are both breeding birds in Britain and in summer plumage they are pretty unmistakable: Cormorant’s white face, hind neck and thigh patch contrast with the rest of the black with the rest of the black with glossy blue/green sheen plumage, while Shag has a glossy green plumage with a raised crest but no white patches Winter Shag retains its green hue during the winter, whereas Cormorant becomes duller the head, neck and thigh..
Out of the breeding season they can look very similar; juvenile birds are generally brown plumed and although there is a size difference, with Cormorant being the larger, you really need to see both birds together to spot this.
When seen closely, shag’s bill is slender compared to the heavy one of Cormorant, too; Shag has a peaked crown at the front, sometimes an obvious looking bump, while Cormorant has a less obvious peak at the rear.
A bright yellow patch on the cheek is also an obvious feature on juvenile Cormorant, while this is lacking on Shag, which has a white patch extending to the base of the bill. Bill color is also slightly different, grayish on Cormorant, light yellow on Shag. Winter Shag retains its green hue during the winter, whereas Cormorant becomes duller the head, neck and thigh.
Faced with a lone bird on a lake that you are struggling to identify, there is another clue to look for: when shag dives for fish it does so with a clear leap out of the water, but Cormorant dives almost lazily; sometimes half a dive, while at other times it just seems to glide underneath without any effort.
Ignoring the lenses of birdwatchers and photographers and photographers, the busy parent came to the nest site on numerous occasions, carrying with it a bill full of bark, spider’s web, moss or various sizes of twigs with which to construct its summer home. At times, the tree creeper brought twigs that were too big for it to take into the tree crevice and, although it tried every which way to fit it into the gap, it just had to give up.
At times bird photography can be a very frustrating job, and patience is not just a virtue-but a prerequisite! However, any glitches are quickly forgotten when the rewards for patience are glimpses into the private life of two special woodland species, such as tree creeper and lesser spotted woodpecker.
