Subject: [Tweeters] what's with the pelicans?
Date: May 2 22:30:43 2010
From: Brad Waggoner - wagtail at sounddsl.com


Hi Dennis and all,

As the western Washington editor for North American Birds I can say with
confidence that we will discuss the Brown Pelican phenomenon. Though
receiving reports with accurate counts including numbers of adults vs.
immature birds will be the only way that we can put this season's
pelican numbers into context.

In the winter column of 2008/2009 here is what was stated about Brown
Pelicans:

Astounding numbers of Brown Pelicans blanketed the Oregon coast well
into December. Morning flyouts produced counts of 2000-4000 birds
passing north at Boiler Bay 8-18 Dec (PP). Many of these birds spent
their days feeding and loafing at the mouth of Siletz Bay, where counts
reached 2000 bird in mid-Dec. Aside from a handful of reports of 4-8
birds during Jan, these pelicans were gone by late-Dec. Though now
annual in Oregon, Brown Pelicans remain rare in Washington during
winter, therefore singletons at Ediz Hook, /Clallam /11?14 Jan (BW), at
the Hoh R. mouth, /Jefferson /17 Jan (BW, DWg), and at Westport 19 Jan
(BT) were noteworthy. A tally of 52 at O.S. 27 Dec (fide D. Moore) is an
extraordinary mid-winter tally. Equally remarkable were two reports of
Brown Pelicans in the P.T., where there only a few antecedent winter
reports; one was at Pt. Wilson, /Jefferson /5 Jan (B. Whitney) and
another appeared near Olympia 14 Jan (C. Ceci). A single Brown Pelican
strayed up the Columbia R. to Portland on 31 Dec (fide HN).

This past winter, although "only" six were noted on the Grays Harbor
CBC, 60 were seen off the Point Brown Jetty at the end of January. So
for the second consecutive winter exceptional numbers of pelicans have
been noted off of the Washington coast. I didn't hear of any reports of
Brown Pelicans in the Puget Trough this winter but one has been reported
this spring. I will be curious to see the Oregon numbers for this past
winter.

Cheers and happy pelican-counting,

Brad Waggoner
Bainbridge Island, Washington
mailto:wagtail at sounddsl.com