The Common Shag

Each morning, a flock of forty to fifty of these diving birds fly from their roosts in the high cliffs beyond Sron Bheag eastwards along the front of Ormsaigbeg heading for their fishing grounds around Kilchoan Bay. Sometimes the whole flock lands and spends time fishing together, more usually it breaks up into groups of four or five.

When they're fishing they motor around on the surface with their heads, for much of the time, under water. As soon as they see their prey they make a small leap into the air as they dive. But a great deal of time is spent perching on rocks preening and watching the world go by.

By evening they're making their way home, often singly. For such heavy birds, takeoff is long and splashy, but once airborne they have a remarkable grace, flying fast and low, inches above the sea's surface. If they're heading into the wind, which is common since they're travelling west, or if the sea is rough, their journey can become a battle.

The ones around Kilchoan are less likely to be cormorants than Common (or European) Shags, though the two are difficult to tell apart. Shags are a species which seems to be doing well despite declining fish stocks.

JH