Pelican Brief

This morning I got up rather early and headed to Wheatley Harbour.  You guessed it, I was on a pelican hunt!  Yesterday morning a Brown Pelican appeared on the rocks at the entrance to the harbour as reported by Alan Wormington.  It stayed virtually all day.  I was tempted to go last evening, but did not know it was still being seen, and I seemed to lack ambition!

I arrived just as the sun was rising in the haze today in hopes of seeing it right away so that I could be back for work by 8 a.m.  My hopes were dashed as all I could see were Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons and various gulls.  One could only hope it was on the other side of the rock pile out of sight......

I was soon joined by another fellow (not sure name, but I have met before), and later Allen Woodliffe.  Hundreds of gulls were moving around and some shorebirds (Least, Sanderling and a Lesser Yellowlegs) flew over.

After I had been there 1.5h I was about to give up.  Just as I started walking  back, Allen shouted out PELICAN!  There it was.  It was on the other side all the time and decided to finally  get up for morning preening!

Lighting was not all that great, but posted here are some record shots.

It was a lifer for Ontario--something long overdue for me.  I could never catch up with any previous ones, however close I was.  I recall one was seen up near Parry Sound early one summer (do not remember date offhand), and strangely, I was at Parry Sound that same day! (not that I knew it was there at the time).

This pelican sighting was almost predictable at some point.  One had been summering around Cleveland Ohio (actually made a brief appearance at Leamington back in July). It was bound to show up at Wheatley, Leamington or Erieau or points in between.

 

So, there is a bird now on the list (or off the list) depending how you look at it.  (not that I am much of a lister, lol)!

No LLB's encountered.