I checked Liberty Lake yesterday evening to see how the cormorant population was doing. Numbers have increased every year but there is still no evidence of nesting. Most birds leave by the end of May leaving only a few immatures to stay through the summer. Last night I stayed until 8:10 PM and the birds had still not gone to roost in the trees on the island. Birds seen:

Canada Goose  15
Mallard  2, a pair
Lesser Scaup  2, a pair
Common Merganser  1 male
Red-breasted Merganser  2 females
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Horned Grebe  1 calling frequently
DC Cormorant  258, mostly adults
Coot  3
Ring-billed Gull  70
Barn Swallow  12
--
Bob Ringler
Eldersburg MD