Subject: Re: Brown Pelican observations
Date: Sep 22 15:25:57 1994
From: Eugene Hunn - hunn at u.washington.edu


from hunn at u.washington.edu

Oystercatchers are permanent residents and seem rarely to stray far from
the tide-splashed rocks that is their favorite habitat... Maybe some
oceanographer could characterize differences between the outer coastal
inshore environment and that in the sound in terms of pelican food?

Gene.

On Wed, 21 Sep 1994, Charles E. Vaughan wrote:

> Eugene Hunn wrote:
> >However, they are rare north and/or east of Cape Flattery though
> >apparently not uncommon, even almost abundant (as on Willapa Bay & Grays
> >Harbor in late summer & fall), all along our outer coast. A few straggle
> >to interior salt waters, thus their rarity at Vancouver. There is one
> >King County record to my knowledge.
>
> Given the numbers I have seen I find this very interesting. This is similar
> pattern to the Black Oystercatcher. However, aren't pelagic fish (pelican
> prey) in the interior sound waters relatively more available than littoral
> shell fish (oystercatcher prey)? What other factors would limit pelican
> distribution?
>
> Dennis Paulson wrote:
> >In answer to Charles Vaughan's question, Brown Pelicans are common on the
> >south coast but decline rapidly north of Ocean Shores and are rare anywhere
> >in from Cape Flattery. Nothing to do with populated areas...
>
> I agree, I really meant that population estimates may be biased by the
> number of observers. The areas that I have seen large numbers of pelicans
> are only accessible by backpacking. At times when I have seen *hundreds* of
> Brown Pelicans (i.e. 1992) on the roadless portion of the coast I have come
> back to find them reported as unusual sightings on RBAs.
>
> Charles Vaughan
> Woodinville, WA
>
>