Barb & Tweeters, both American White and Brown Pelicans are rare in the
Puget Sound area [Source: Birdweb
http://birdweb.org/birdweb/family_details.aspx?family_id=59 ]. My guess is
that the 22 Pelicans I saw on May 15 were actually White, based on Lori's
Olympia sighting. See other recent Puget Sound area Pelican sightings,
below.

Mary Bond in Seattle - Zuckerbond at comcast dot net



------------------------------

Message: 12

Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 22:02:55 -0700

From: Barbara Deihl <barbdeihl at comcast.net>

Subject: [Tweeters] a verdict on the 3 pelicans



Several of you responded to my posting about seeing 3 pelicans soaring

over a residential area near Northgate. You all thought they were

likely White Pelicans, so I'm going with that. Three reasons that

they were likely White Pelicans: 1. they were clearly white and black

as seen from the underside; 2. they were quite large (Whites are

larger than Browns); and 3. they are fond of soaring :-)



Anyone else have any experiences finding pelicans in an unusual area?

Whites are usually found east of the Cascades, no? Do they migrate?



No, I didn't get a photo, but there are 2 of us to corroborate the

sighting.



Barb Deihl

North Matthews Beach

barbdeihl at comcast.net



------------------------------

Message: 2

Date: Sun, 31 May 2009 13:32:32 -0700

From: Barbara Deihl <barbdeihl at comcast.net>

Subject: [Tweeters] 3 Pelicans



At about 1 p.m., when I was out visiting some friends, 3 Pelicans

soared around overhead, just north of N.gate Way. A raptor in the

area shooed them away. Only saw them from underneath and they looked

pretty white & black, but it could have been the lighting. Probably

Brown Pelicans? They were flying from NE to SW. Heading to the

Roosevelt Reservoir?



...and I thought at first they were gulls! :-)



Barb Deihl

N. Matthews Beach, Seattle

barbdeihl at comcast.net



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Message: 16

Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 22:24:00 -0700 (PDT)

From: Lori Salzer <ljsalzer at yahoo.com>

Subject: [Tweeters] White Pelicans in Olympia



Tonite Mary Linders and I were at Woodard Bay NRCA in Olympia to count the
bat emergence and 22 White Pelicans flew over at sunset!!



Lori Salzer

Olympia, Wa

ljsalzer at yahoo.com



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Message: 20

Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 20:47:52 -0700

From: Gary Shugart <gshugart at ups.edu>

Subject: [Tweeters] Brown Pelican over Pt. Defiance



Hi All: A pelican flew high over the ferry this morning as it pulled into
the Pt. Defiance terminal (in Ruston). The bird was meandering west in the
passage between Pt. Defiance (the point) and the SW tip of Vashon Island
(Point Dalco).



Gary Shugart, Slater Museum of Natural History, Tacoma and Vashon Island.



------------------------------

Date: Friday, May 15, 2009

From: Zuckerbond <Zuckerbond at comcast.net>

Subject: [Tweeters] 22 Pelicans at West Pt.



Tweeters,

My mother-in-law and I were at the lighthouse in Discovery Park today at
1:15 pm, and we saw a fairly tight line of 22 Brown Pelicans flying SW, kind
of high up for Pelicans, fairly close in to shore.

Sincerely, Mary Bond in Seattle zuckerbond at comcast dot net