Periodically during these Fall/Winter months, large flocks of Double-crested Cormorants swarm Shoreline Lake to feed on the schools of fish that inhabit the lake. On this morning, there were over 200 cormorants in the flock. This event always draws many other birds that take advantage of the cormorant's pursuit of the small fish throughout the lake. In the photo above there are 8 Great Egrets and 13 Snowy Egrets lined up on the shoreline in anticipation of having the schools of fish pushed in their direction by the cormorant flock in the water. As the cormorants change direction in pursuit of the fish, the egrets and other birds change their location to increase their chances of catching fish. In addition to the many egrets, there was a Great Blue Heron, Brown Pelicans and Forster's Terns joining the hunt. The egrets have to continuously move parallel to their position or sometimes fly to the opposite shore to always have the cormorants moving towards them.
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These egrets are moving further down the shoreline to put themselves in line with the direction the cormorants are pursuing the fish.
This Great Blue Heron is keeping a close eye on the cormorant action on the lake as it repositions itself.
This Brown Pelican missed its target and came up empty.
This Forster's Tern has captured a fish and is about to break the surface of the water and fly off.
Terrific and educational set of behavioural images Ron. I've seen other birds do the same thing; that is, hang around and wait for diving birds to direct fish towards them, or in the case of Gulls to look for any opportunity to snatch a fish, even if dropped for a split second. Very interesting behaviour.