Although all of us were craning our necks in search of the Bald Eagle we’d been told lives along the Connecticut River, it appeared none were to be found (until later at least - See article: Wild Turkey vs. Bald Eagle as Our National Symbol )
The Double-crested Cormorant – The Vampire Bird
Likely sensing some disappointment Captain Yukrat asked with a gleam in his eye, “Anyone here interested in Vampires?” Smiling knowingly, he stated “Well, if there are any are secret Dracula fans here, you’re in luck.”
He pointed out a long row of black birds standing on some driftwood and had us focus our binoculars on them. It was an odd sight as every few seconds one would spread their wings wide and stand perfectly still. After a minute or so around 75% of the birds were standing with their wings open. It was an odd sight and didn’t take long for the image of Bela Lugosi to appear in my mind accompanied by a slight shiver staring at their strange stance.
After letting us take them in and begin to form of a picture of what he might be referring to, he said in a low, theatrical voice, “Hold on to your seats Ladies and Gentleman. For those black birds out there are known as Vampire Birds.”
Here several passengers eyed them cautiously, keeping watch as if preparing for them to approach us for a snack. Luckily the Captain soon relieved the slight tension by stating they were actually called Double-crested Cormorants and the only resemblance they had to a vampire was the way they held their wings open, which resembled a cape draping down.
He added that the reason they did so, was that they had no oil on their feathers which allowed them to dive deeper than most birds, as their feather absorbed the water making them less buoyant, but also required them to dry off every so often which was why they held their wings open as they did. In many cases they are able to dive down over 45 meters
One passenger, seemingly embarrassed, asked, “So their diet has nothing to do with blood then?” Some light laughter filled the air as if others also wanted reassurance as by now there were dozens surrounding us on driftwood and tree branches above our heads.
The Captain stated, “The only blood they are interested in is whatever goes along with the fish they eat as their primary source of food.” The tension lessened noticeable with this statement.
I had to admit, being a secret Dracula fan, they did resemble dark beings covered by a full length cape and when many got together with their wings out it was an impressive sight worthy of a Hitchcock/Stocker collaboration. During our journey we came across several groups of them perching on branches or other objects jarred lose by the hurricane, wings held open and standing stock still. When informed that most had already migrated the remaining number which included just those we had seen, seemed daunting.
Lethal Means to Limit Cormorant Population
Evidently, one of the species affected by DDT spraying in the early 1960’s they rebounded much faster than other birds. Due to their large numbers, that they consume a substantial number of fish leaving less for other birds, and they sometimes take over other species' breeding grounds as well as damage trees and at times rare plant life, some consider them a menace to be gotten rid of.
In fact, while in some states they are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, there is much more leniency in providing permits to rid areas of the Double-crested Cormorants both to decrease the amount of fish eaten, ensuring other species will stay in the area as they have enough to feed on, as well as to prevent them from spreading into other communities. These methods included destroying nests and eggs, cutting down trees that serve as nesting sites for them or oiling the eggs making it impossible for them to remain on the eggs for long enough periods of time to allow them to hatch.
In other states there have never been regulations. In 2003 a new act permitted individuals in areas that appeared to suffer adverse effects of the cormorant to use lethal means to limit the population. While in some states permits are necessary to kill these birds, especially in large numbers, in other states that have never been required to obtain permits this remains the same and individuals can kill as many of these birds as they choose to without oversight. This is worrisome as given their near extinction due to DDT it is unknown how many of these birds are being killed off or prevented from nesting or hatching eggs and we may not find out until it is too late.
The Great Egret
Two species of Egrets inhabit the Connecticut River, the Snowy Egret and the Great Egret, members of the heron family. The Great Egret is currently considered a threatened species due to being near extinction at the turn of the 19th century, hunted for their feathers seen as prized accessories for women’s clothing. While their numbers have recovered somewhat since hunting them was outlawed, they have never returned to pre-19th century levels due to the loss of wetlands and other shallow water areas they once inhabited.
These large white birds have black legs and feet and yellow sharp beaks used to skewer fish as these birds move languidly though the shallows. The characteristic S-shape of the neck was held tightly in order to be able to spring forward when prey was spotted. They grow to be about 40 inches tall with a wingspan of around 55 inches.
Instructed where to look, we were able to see several Great Egrets along our journey, each solitary which we were informed was not unusual this time of year, and the binoculars gave us a good feel for just how large these birds are. One was clearly feeding and in the blink of an eye, its head submerged and re-emerged with a small fish skewered on its beak. The speed and skill with which it succeeded in accomplishing this gave us the sense these birds likely don’t go hungry.
The Snowy Egret
The Snowy Egret looks like a smaller version of the Great Egret except that it has black legs but yellow feet, a black bill and the S-shape of the neck is less noticeable. They are also shallow water feeders, catching prey similarly to their larger cousins. Similar to the Great Egret they were once hunted for their plumage but are now protected through the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and while their numbers have also rebounded somewhat they remain at a lower population than prior to when they were hunted. We spotted one of these on the trip but after examining the larger Great Egret it appeared quite small in comparison though the Captain informed us it was considered a medium sized member of the Egret Family.
Cormorant “Vampires” and snow white egret “Shallows Stalkers” may sound like a Hitchcock remake, but it was a beautiful and memorable day all around.
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