There are approximately 5000 BROWN PELICANS on the
lower Columbia (This according to the tern research guys).
Many of them routinely fish the estuary near the Megler
(Astoria) Bridge.

---- original message ----
Subject: Pelican like bird
From: "Melissa Nelson" <menelson AT JoiMail.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2004 19:00:33 -0700

Tweets,

I was driving over the Astoria Bridge on the mouth of the Columbia River and
saw a large group of feeding birds. They were quite a bit larger than
mallard ducks I think, and had bills and throats the shape of pelicans.
Their coloring was all dark brown and spotty. They were diving from a
sitting position and diving while flying. I could not stop for better
observation. As we continued driving North on 101 towards Long Beach, WA I
continued seeing them flying in groups of 3 to 7 heading in the same general
direction.

I looked in my Audubon book and on the internet and could not find a bird
that matched.

Could someone tell me what they think I Saw?

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com