Wednesday 7 December 2011

A Gulp of Cormorants!


There's been a run of cormorants recently. On the weekend of 20th November, Australian Seabird member Kirsten, took a trip to a Caringbah vet (about 60km from Wollongong). Unfortunately this handsome cormorant had a broken wing and had to be euthanized.
Whilst we were manning our regular market stall at Kiama a call came about a cormorant in distress in the shallows. Unable to leave the markets, the gentleman caught him and brought him to us. Unfortunately he died overnight with lungs full of water.
Then on the 28th November another of our members, Val, retrieved a cormorant from Stanwell Park Beach on the edge of the Royal National Park. She took him to the vet who assessed he was exhausted and a bit underweight. He was transferred to Wollongong the next day into care for a bit of R & R and free fish. While we were feeding him he took at a swipe at Leonie and caused a surface cut. Boy are they fast!
On the same day returning from a pelican rescue, a call came in about a cormorant in a backyard not near a waterway. The beautiful pied boy in the photo had lost his way, so we took him to the harbour.
Both the Stanwell Park boy and the little pied were last seen happily fishing amongst their pelican friends.
Thanks to Kirsten, Val and Leonie.
Betty

Leonie with the cormorant who had lost his way!

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