On Fri, Sep 12, 2025 at 8:23 PM Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> This evening, while birding Creekside Park looking for migrants, I was
> startled to hear heavy sloshing noises from the east end of the tiny stream
> (Cerrito Creek) that runs through this urban park. This was accompanied by
> an underwater shape moving sinuously below the surface of a small pool,
> executing tight turns in pursuit of minnows.
>
> I assumed at first that this might be a mammal, until a cormorant head
> emerged right next to me! This was already surprising, but what was more
> unusual was that this was a Brandt’s Cormorant! Brandt’s Cormorants are
> ocean birds (often ranging far offshore), though they can be found more
> sparsely in the bay, especially in areas that are closer to the Golden Gate
> (in addition to breeding sites on bridge footings and some other sites).
>
> This bird was probably 1/3 of a mile inland from the closest pure
> saltwater. Presumably it came through the culvert st peak high tide, then
> found the feeding good. The bird certainly seemed unhurt, and foraged
> energetically.
>
> Cerrito Creek is very narrow, with low flow and small shallow pools (the
> deepest might be knee deep), separated by slow trickles over gravel bars.
> High tide raises the level of the creek’s lowermost end, where brackish
> water comes through a culvert under highway 80, after crossing tidal flats
> between the Albany Bulb and Point Isabelle. The creek divides a city park /
> Asian mall and apartments on one side, and a riparian area and oak woodland
> at the base of Albany Hill on the other.
>
> As I watched, the bird reached the end of its pool, then emerged to waddle
> unhurriedly to the next one. Over several hours, it ranged up and down the
> creek with this combo of swimming than waddling, close to leashed barking
> dogs in a small encampment, past teenagers hanging out on the bank, and at
> one point it passed me 3 feet away, as I stood still on a gravel bar, as it
> made its way further upstream!
>
> This is definitely a bird I never expected to see in a freshwater creek in
> an urban park! I imagine there must be very few records of inland Brandt’s
> Cormorants on small bodies of freshwater. Truly bizarre.
>
> Photos and video are below:
> (My hand is shown for distance reference in one photo as I stood still
> while the bird walked by me)
>
> Zac Denning
> Albany
>
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> IMG_5283.jpeg:
> https://groups.io/g/EBB-Sightings/sattachment/6770181030059548008/257113334/0/c060926dfdc88e5be8193f0dbcae2957e2eecbe8af232788c884edbaa90e730e > IMG_5287.jpeg
> <https://groups.io/g/EBB-Sightings/sattachment/6770181030059548008/257113334/0/c060926dfdc88e5be8193f0dbcae2957e2eecbe8af232788c884edbaa90e730eIMG_5287.jpeg>: >
> https://groups.io/g/EBB-Sightings/sattachment/6930776166615875373/257113334/1/33a328851b1311703145fb88b2f2e8d8d8ca1aeda732874758e629968fcacea7 > IMG_5285.mp4:
> https://groups.io/g/EBB-Sightings/sattachment/8685375056660528732/257113334/2/df7acddb7a57c51d5e65603deb3d1bccb1edbcc3527ecbe74713a6ac3cbf522c >
>
>
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