Yesterday morning, beneath a clear blue sky and enveloped in cool autumn air, I visited South Platte Park. A steady, southeast wind kept many of the songbirds under cover and the waterfowl numbers remained well below par for early October. Fortunately, a massive parade of double-crested cormorants made the visit especially memorable.
Beginning about 8 AM, small flocks of cormorants appeared overhead, flying southward through the South Platte Valley. They were followed by a steady line of cohorts, numbering 87 birds in all. I can only assume that these "fish crows" are beginning their exodus to southern lakes or the Gulf Coast, perhaps stopping by Chatfield Reservoir for a day or two of fishing before moving on.
Their exodus is surely triggered by the waning sunlight hours but they might also sense a change in the atmospheric pressure as a cold front gradually approaches from the northwest. We expect cooler, rainy weather in the coming days and possible snow showers by early next week. While that would not threaten the welfare of these hardy fishermen, their lives are governed by instinct and they "know" it's time to travel south.
Beginning about 8 AM, small flocks of cormorants appeared overhead, flying southward through the South Platte Valley. They were followed by a steady line of cohorts, numbering 87 birds in all. I can only assume that these "fish crows" are beginning their exodus to southern lakes or the Gulf Coast, perhaps stopping by Chatfield Reservoir for a day or two of fishing before moving on.
Their exodus is surely triggered by the waning sunlight hours but they might also sense a change in the atmospheric pressure as a cold front gradually approaches from the northwest. We expect cooler, rainy weather in the coming days and possible snow showers by early next week. While that would not threaten the welfare of these hardy fishermen, their lives are governed by instinct and they "know" it's time to travel south.
