Saw a Cormorant in my pond yesterday for the first time. Up until now, GBH and Egrets are the only water birds I have seen with any regularity. Well, this thing was fishing in the middle of the pond standing on some small limbs from a sunken tree. His feeding spot was about 40 feet from my feeder. Up until yesterday the fish were devouring their normal 2 second afternoon TH feeder ration with great abandon, and in fact, I had been hand throwing them an additional 3 or 4 solo cups of mvp as well. Water temps are about 65 here now. Well, I happened to be standing there when the feeder went off (about 20 minutes after the cormorant left) and for the first time ever, not a single fish showed up to eat! I could not believe it. Eventually, about 5 minutes later a very small group started eating a pellet here or there, but 99% of the feed just sat there untouched. Obviously the cormorant must have spooked them and I guess they all headed for the bottom. Is this common behavior when cormorants come around? I just have never seen anything cause a total shutdown like that before. Even in 28 degree weather I would still have feeder activity. Learn something new everyday with this pond!
Oh, and this morning when I rode out to the pond, there were 4 cormorants feeding! From zero to 4 in one day! Not good.
