WHAT IT IS
They are said to be responsible for destroying a miniscule amount of land compared to the habitats destroyed by humans and it has also been stated by some that they eat enormous amounts of fish, fish rightly destined for the palates of sports fishermen and other hungry fish lovers. Although they are not out in their boats casting gill nets, studying fish finders or dazzling the prey with shiny lures and scrumptious bait, cormorants are the new No. 1 enemy wildlife that we’re determined to “manage”.
Making a strong comeback after being decimated by DDT in the 1960’s, the newest method of cormorant control appears to be a fifty kill per day cull to keep these pesky little bastards in their place. To that end, INSECT agent and avid duck hunter, Sid Foster, readied his gear on the shores of Lake Erie and wouldn’t you know it, left sixty-one cormorants floating in the choppy waters by sundown.
WHAT IT IS NOT
It was supposed to be a quick detour but dragged out to be a long afternoon, a life saving experience and an odd little photograph that Sapphire became quite fond of. Driving down an old logging road north west of Temagami, Cricket spotted something out of place down a rocky overgrown road and decided to investigate. The deviation saw the driver’s side front wheel collapse a fragile piece of rock sending the truck sliding off solid ground into a mud filled pool of peat moss. Cricket pulled at his chin whiskers and declared he’d have the truck out within the hour and suggested Sapphire go for a walkabout to see what she could photograph.
Sapphire followed the sounds of running water, spotting and photographing several cormorants sitting awkwardly in a tree. Deciding to give her mechanically challenged brother a couple of hours to complete his task, she wandered along the stream coming to a bailey bridge where the water moved fast beneath the steel girders. While sitting on a rock below the bridge, Sapphire caught a glimpse of a women running along the roadway then disappearing into the forest. As she got to her feet for a better look she heard the sounds of someone splashing around into the swift moving current. Instinctively, Sapphire looked for a long branch, ran to where she could reach the person, then hauled her to safety. A thankful police officer, Jessica Potts, stretched out on the shoreline and regained her composure before both women headed back to find Cricket.
Cricket’s one hour assignment turned into four, and just as he righted the truck back on to the road, the two water soaked women arrived.
Share if you dare
WHAT IT IS/WHAT IT IS NOT 