Greets --
I was pretty excited to see a WHITE PELICAN perched on a piling next to the
Edmonds/Kingston ferry this morning. It is the first I have seen in
Washington (although I have read that others have seen them here). He sat on
the piling long enough for our group (PAS) to get a good enough look at him
to see that he had been banded. When he took flight he circled the
waterfront for a good length of time.
QUERY: I have read that white pelicans do not dive for their food like brown
pelicans do -- that they fish in flocks, on the water surface. Does anyone
know how successful a lone white pelican is doing solitary fishing? It seems
that they would have a much harder time surviving on their own if their
instinct is to visit the "grocery store" en masse. I would appreciate
hearing some ideas about this. Many thanks.
Jo Waldron
Everett, WA
joaw9 at aol.com