watcher
Thursday 17th February 2005, 13:52
Hello all!
Since we have a project for investigation of one of the biggest night roosts of Pygmy Cormorant in Bulgaria (numbering usually between 2000 and 4000 individuals) we made again a trip to count them last weekend. What was interesting is that this winter was quite hot, thus keeping the night roost not highly populated (1500 birds) spending the night in the company of 20-30 Great Cormorants. But this time the roosting site comprised more than 1000 Great Cormorants and less than 300 Pygmies!!! May be because of the rapid decline of the temperatures (reaching minus 34 C in some parts of Northern Bulgaria) Pygmyes have moved away southwards, but another possible reason for their low number could be also the presence of huge number of Great Cormorants, which usually do not tollerate their "smaller brothers" among them on the trees of the roosting site! However our research will continue! So far we have collected quite interesting data for the feeding ecology of the Pygmies and their pellet production compared to the Great Cormorant!
Regards to all,
http://www.birdwatchingbulgaria.com/
Ivailo
Since we have a project for investigation of one of the biggest night roosts of Pygmy Cormorant in Bulgaria (numbering usually between 2000 and 4000 individuals) we made again a trip to count them last weekend. What was interesting is that this winter was quite hot, thus keeping the night roost not highly populated (1500 birds) spending the night in the company of 20-30 Great Cormorants. But this time the roosting site comprised more than 1000 Great Cormorants and less than 300 Pygmies!!! May be because of the rapid decline of the temperatures (reaching minus 34 C in some parts of Northern Bulgaria) Pygmyes have moved away southwards, but another possible reason for their low number could be also the presence of huge number of Great Cormorants, which usually do not tollerate their "smaller brothers" among them on the trees of the roosting site! However our research will continue! So far we have collected quite interesting data for the feeding ecology of the Pygmies and their pellet production compared to the Great Cormorant!
Regards to all,
http://www.birdwatchingbulgaria.com/
Ivailo