[EBB Sightings] Back at Lake Merritt

Bob Power wrote:
> Hilary, Birds of North America on-line (worth it's
> annual fee) thinks 2nd clutching is rare (for what
> it's worth). . . .
> 
Fascinatin' - I wonder how they can tell? I'm not arguing, just puzzled. 
A cormorant rookery consists of so many individuals and they move around 
so much; it's not like watching a falcon nest that either has a pair of 
birds in it or not.

The rookery here isn't an all-year affair, but it starts at the end of 
February and a few birds were hunkered down in nests today. Last week 
with Ruth's scope, the 4th Wednesday GGAS trip saw fuzzy nestlings being 
shaded from the sun.

The trees have lost so many branches that the number of good nest spots 
is down this year, so it seems logical that some would-be breeders had 
to wait for housing to open up. On the other hand, all the double crests 
were gone by sometime in April, which might mean these are established 
pairings still going at it.

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