AUSTRALASIAN GANNETS: FLYING FISH-FINDERS
September 7, 2009 by BayKeeper
Filed under Education, Featured, Wild Things
While the Baywide Anchovy survey scientists use sonar to detect fish, there just may be another less technical indicator on the horizon. Seabirds such as Gannets and Penguins are hard-wired to find fish to survive. So if you’re looking for fish, look for the birds!
This spectacular photo is by Andrew McCutcheon.
I began recording Gannet activity in the top of Port Phillip Bay in 1987. It’s interesting to look back over the records to find that most occurred between May to September. Many records were of 1 to 3 birds. But there are quite a few records of more than 20 and up to 150 birds. These seem to be concentrated around August and September.
Big, feeding flocks of Little Pied Cormorants and Little Black Cormorants, occasionally accompanied by dolphins, are also sure signs of fish.
