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Post by pontiac1940 on May 2, 2019 1:46:19 GMT
May 1, 2019. Coaldale, Alberta. White pelicans stay in our area all summer and there are usually a few (2 to 6 or so) hanging around the ponds across the road from April until September. However, in most years a large group of pelicans stops over at the ponds for one or two days on their way north to their breeding grounds. About 30 were here this morning and may or may not be here tomorrow. Shall see. They are huge birds with a wing span approaching ten feet (244-290 cm) and weighing up to over 20 pounds (up to 9 kg.) Amazingly, they fly so gracefully.     |
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Post by hmca on May 2, 2019 1:49:31 GMT
Looks like you had some fun! Very nice series, Clive!
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Post by cats4jan on May 2, 2019 10:17:15 GMT
For the last three years, our community has been visited by three dozen of these beautiful birds. They winter here. I didn’t even know there were white ones. We live on a small, man-made lake so I get to watch these guys close up and personal. It’s such fun. Thanks for sharing your photos. The ones in flight are especially spectacular. Our guys just left and I miss them already.
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Post by pontiac1940 on May 2, 2019 14:51:35 GMT
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Post by cats4jan on May 2, 2019 16:53:50 GMT
That map was very interesting- their range is very broad. Some of our guys (or gals) just left this week. I was wondering if they were going to miss their breeding time back home and just breed here - along with the ducks and geese. They seemed to be special friends with the ducks this year.
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Post by whippet on May 2, 2019 18:42:53 GMT
Oh, you lucky people.
Are those the same ones on the lake, Clive?
I would have thought that black would show on the top of the folded wings, too.
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Post by jackscrap on May 2, 2019 22:00:56 GMT
I love pelicans, there are always plenty around not far from where I live and where we go fishing. They hang around for the fish scraps at the filleting table. They are similar to yours, but they don’t have that extra bump on their bills like yours do. I wonder what purpose that serves?
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Post by pontiac1940 on May 2, 2019 22:57:38 GMT
Thanks all. whippet, the birds on the water are part of the same gang that were flying. jackscrap, that plate is a sign of breeding readiness. It disappears after breeding..and returns nest spring. The odd part is, the local birds that stay all spring and summer display this plate and yet, there are no nesting areas that I am aware of in the area, the closest being about 120 km away. This big gang probably breeds several hundred km north of here. You mentioned fishing. Pelicans are efficient fishers and collectively "herd" fish. I used to fish a lovely trout river about 45 minutes from the house..it's a shallow, rock shelf river and was a fabulous trout stream. But the pelicans decimated the trout stocks. There are still trout there, but it has not been the same. I photographed 21 pelicans feeding back in 2008 or so. So, as a fly fisherman, pelicans and I have this love hate relationship: they are cool birds, but they eat "my" trout!  Clive |
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Post by jackscrap on May 3, 2019 5:07:03 GMT
Thanks for clearing that up Clive, I've never seen an Australian pelican with that bump on their bill, but as they don't nest on the coast and only go off to breed somewhere inland when the lakes are full, I guess they might acquire the extra plate then? Who knows? Earlier this year there was quite a lot of flooding rains in the top end of Australia, which then saw a vast exodus of coastal pelicans off to breed while the conditions were good. Your fly fishing saga must have been quite frustrating, but as they are so fascinating to observe and photograph, you can't have it all.....
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Post by cats4jan on May 3, 2019 11:24:17 GMT
Saw a lone pelican yesterday. Guess he missed the memo.
We are getting upwards of 3 dozen each winter. What a sight. Not sure our “lake” will continue to provide enough fish for that many birds. It’s not a real lake. It’s a rain water overflow pond. They have installed a liner to turn it into a retention pond - for looks only. They have stocked it with fish. But at the rate these big birds are eating, I can’t imagine the fish will last.
Do they eat frogs? We have so many frogs, breeding season is so noisy we can’t hear the tv. These are the tiniest frogs you have ever seen. They are kinda creepy. Wouldn’t mind the pelicans decimating the frog population. The frogs are a recent development. Don’t remember this noise when we first moved here.
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Post by hmca on May 3, 2019 11:45:26 GMT
Janice, your frog statement made me laugh. On my first trip to Florida as a kid I remember seeing those frogs all over the sidewalk and on the sliding door of where we were staying......had never seen so many frogs in my life!
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Post by cats4jan on May 3, 2019 12:29:37 GMT
The frogs are so small, they look like large insects. Just as creepy. Yuck
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Post by cats4jan on May 3, 2019 12:37:10 GMT
Excuse the quality - they're screenshots of lousy photos. Need a new camera (and a new photographer) LOL Just providing these shots so you can see what I see out my lanai window - ... and to show that my pelican doesn't know who he is. He's keeping some strange company. This was the first year that the ducks and the pelicans were hanging around together. You'd see a couple of pelicans with dozens of ducks or dozens of pelicans with one duck -
they'd sometimes encircle one - like they were having a conference. Fun (and bizarre)   |
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