On a cold November afternoon, a still dark bird looks down on his watery kingdom. Could this be Graculus, royal bird of the land of Nog?

 Noggin the Nog was created once upon a time, in a land far away,  Britain in the early 1960’s to be exact, by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin.  Graculus,  the large green bird which flew over the Northlands, wise and loyal friend to Noggin, bears a strong resemblance to the shags and cormorants which visit Eyemouth harbour.

The cormorant is the bigger bird, with bluish plumage and a strong bill. Both shag and cormorant dive energetically for fish, the shag flipping its legs before disappearing beneath the water. After feeding, this cormorant stands almost motionless, like Dracula in his cloak, wings extended out to dry.

With their long necks and reptilian-like plumage, shags and cormormorants appear like creatures from another time.