On Wed, 2 Dec 1998, Birds Abundant wrote:

> We had two Brown Pelicans here on the Sunshine Coast in Trail Bay in Sechelt
> on the 22nd. . Little farther north than your other reports

Well, I get pretty geograpically challenged once you cross the Washington
State border on the north but these pelicans are definitely pushing
the boundaries. I remember last year feeling some trepidation after
suggesting to a newspaper reporter that Brown Pelicans off Blake Island
and other Puget Sound localities might be an indication that El Nino
conditions had affected the distributions of more than just fish.
Others pointed out the very real possibility that we might simply be
seeing the continued expansion in the post-breeding season range of the
species and that the pattern was likely to continue as long as Brown
Pelican numbers continue to increase. So, I have been watching Tweeters
for Brown Pelican sightings and, up until recently, was feeling a little
bit better about the suggested correlation with El Nino. Now, I am
thinking it garbage. Brown Pelicans appear to be following a fairly
consistent pattern of range expansion that is probably little influenced
by ocean surface temperatures.

Kelly McAllister