{"id":64621,"date":"2020-02-18T05:45:25","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T12:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=64621"},"modified":"2023-03-23T16:18:06","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T22:18:06","slug":"puzzling-absence-of-double-crested-cormorants-this-winter-at-my-local-ponds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/02\/18\/puzzling-absence-of-double-crested-cormorants-this-winter-at-my-local-ponds\/","title":{"rendered":"Puzzling Absence Of Double-crested Cormorants This Winter At My Local Ponds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WinterWinter Double-crested Cormorant – Nikon D500, f10, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Every winter since I moved to northern Utah in 2009 I have found a few Double-crested Cormorants overwintering at my local ponds but this winter has been very different. This winter has been warmer than normal and there has been less snow in the valley than is typical yet I haven’t seen a Double-crested Cormorant on the ponds in months.<\/p>\n

Last winter I saw from one to six cormorants when I’d go down to my local ponds and when I would head to the West Desert I would usually see a few on the water of the ponds near the northern most points of the Oquirrh Mountains next to I-80 as well. I haven’t this winter though and it puzzles me.<\/p>\n

I’ve checked out other locations where I have spotted overwintering Double-crested Cormorants through the years and haven’t found any there either.<\/p>\n

About one year ago there was plenty of snow on the ground, the temps were below freezing and I photographed this adult Double-crested Cormorant as it rest on the bank of one of my local ponds. This was only one of four cormorants I saw that February morning, the other three were on the water fishing when I aimed my lens at this bird.<\/p>\n

With a colder, harsher winter I would expect to see fewer Double-crested Cormorants overwintering here in northern Utah but this winter hasn’t been that harsh at all. In fact, it has been fairly mild.<\/p>\n

It just seems odd and I wonder where they have been.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Double-crested Cormorant photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every winter since I moved to northern Utah in 2009 I have found a few Double-crested Cormorants overwintering at my local ponds but this winter has been very different.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":111544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,144,709,26],"tags":[8767,4004,5548,5200,149,8768,4173,1003,5511,6946,1984,8766,4156,4050,8018,3996,373],"class_list":["post-64621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-double-crested-cormorant","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-absence","tag-adult","tag-cormorant","tag-cormorants","tag-double-crested-cormorant","tag-missing","tag-nannopterum-auritus","tag-odd","tag-overwinter","tag-overwintering","tag-pond","tag-puzzling","tag-resting","tag-snow","tag-urban","tag-water","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/double-crested-cormorant-winter-mia-mcpherson-4676.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-gOh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":97225,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/11\/12\/wondering-about-overwintering-double-crested-cormorants\/","url_meta":{"origin":64621,"position":0},"title":"Wondering About Overwintering Double-crested Cormorants","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Last winter I missed seeing overwintering Double-crested Cormorants at my local ponds and in other locations in northern Utah where I typically see them.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Double-crested Cormorant drying its wings, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/double-crested-cormorant-hatch-year-mia-mcpherson-9716.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/double-crested-cormorant-hatch-year-mia-mcpherson-9716.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-tiger-trout-urban-mia-mcpherson-2945.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-tiger-trout-urban-mia-mcpherson-2945.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-tiger-trout-urban-mia-mcpherson-2945.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-tiger-trout-urban-mia-mcpherson-2945.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56042,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/02\/12\/landing-immature-double-crested-cormorant-seeking-safety\/","url_meta":{"origin":64621,"position":3},"title":"Landing Immature Double-crested Cormorant Seeking Safety","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This immature Double-crested Cormorant appears to be molting and probably needs all the rest it can get because of the molt and because winter is hard on these overwintering cormorants.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Double-crested Cormorant landing on a pond, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-immature-landing-mia-mcpherson-1651.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/double-crested-cormorant-immature-landing-mia-mcpherson-1651.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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