Here’s a great cormorant and a young(ish) shag, which just so happen to be Ireland’s only 2 species of cormorant. The great cormorant is more widespread and can be found around Cork city. The shag in contrast sticks to the coast and can therefore not be found as much on the river Lee. The one you see below is probably not very representative of the species because adults in breeding plumage are jet black with a tufted crest. Anyway the shag has a more delicate frame (ref, the thinner bill).
Great cormorant
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| Impressivly this fellow was balancing on this beam in gale force winds last week. The hurricane blowoff apparently didn't bother him much. |
Shag
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Here for effect is a Shannie (a type of blennie fish) which I found under a rock, it may look like I took a fish out of water but this little guy can easily spend a whole low tide period under a rock with no actual water. It was probably much happier after I released it into a rockpool ;-)
Cute wee fish :D
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