I Saw A Cormorant

[emc]

I know I am probably being a bit thick but what do the numbers in the circles represent..... numbers of birds, numbers of anglers? And can someone name the river to the west of the Bay of Biscay.

Always had a lot of time for Hugh Miles, enjoyed his films and books. Rapid reassessment going on.

[Robbie]

If you zoom in on the numbers in circles they will resolve out into separate reported sightings.

Don't see the value in this sort of data collection, surely it would not be taken seriously by whoever is responsible for issuing licences to cull these birds.

[admin]

Don't see the value in this sort of data collection, surely it would not be taken seriously by whoever is responsible for issuing licences to cull these birds.

That's what I would have thought. Even as an angler I suspect that a vast number of these "sightings"  are completely bogus.

[emc]

If you zoom in on the numbers in circles they will resolve out into separate reported sightings.

Don't see the value in this sort of data collection, surely it would not be taken seriously by whoever is responsible for issuing licences to cull these birds.

Thanks Robbie. Thought I might just be being dense

At least it shows me where to go to get a decent chance of photographing some sawbills

[Robbie]

I contacted the angling trust and raised some concerns with the impression such websites create and the risk of bogus information being logged.

To be fair I did receive quite a prompt rely which stated that:

"Despite your concerns I can assure you that our database shows no evidence of attempts to bias the results either by exaggerated reports or repeated use. Each individual entry is moderated before it appears on the public facing map.
 
Part of our involvement in the Defra review involves assessing and addressing all the possible causes and solutions for the increase in inland cormorants and our Freshwater and Marine Campaign managers are both working with various agencies with this aim."

Must admit that I am not convinced.

[Traditionalist]

The reason for the increase in inland cormorants is perfectly simple, they have adapted to the environment which man has affected, to the extent that they can now survive better inland, not only survive, but thrive.  They can not live in seas denuded of bait-fish, huge masses of which are extremely wastefully used to feed farmed salmon, stocked rainbows, and various other things.

All these people want to "manage" things as they see fit, but the fact is that they are unable to even manage themselves.

We have large contingents of people abroad killing and destroying things, mostly other people, but are apparently unable to do anything about convicted terrorists freely roaming our streets.  Or even about common criminals, who apparently enjoy more "protection" than any "average" law-abiding person.

Simple common sense no longer holds any sway.

TL
MC

[Malcolm]

I thought part of the reason was that the continental cormorant - which normally lives inland on Dutch Canals and the like - established itself here about 30 years ago from an initial small influx in Norfolk.