It appears that now is the time of year to visit Balyang if you want to see young cormorants develop into the adult plumage. There are a couple of young birds hanging out in the bushes under the ‘mating tree’ at the moment. Mostly they stick to the bushes themselves but sometimes they venture out onto the fallen branches.
This is usually done under the watchful eye of a grown up, who will encourage the youngster to move back into the bushes if you get too close (a mistake I haven’t repeated.)
It’s fascinating because you they still have the juvenile pink face but are developing a clear white area on the chest, and little patches of white near the ears. I can’t wait to see how the plumage develops, and to see how they explore the surrounding area.
As expected, I’m still seeing cormorants displaying nesting and courtship behaviour. It hasn’t really stopped. I have no idea how the barwon sustains the local population, considering so many have actually made it to adulthood this year. A fascinating time to be a birdwatcher.
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