Perhaps the gulls need to the rethink their view of pelicans as predators. In some parts of the world, pelicans walk through seabird rookeries eating the young. This is thought to be due to the lack of a normal fish diet being available.




Hal Michael
Science Outreach Director, Sustainable Fisheries Foundation
Olympia WA
360-459-4005
360-791-7702 (C)
ucd880 at comcast.net

----- Original Message -----

While biking and birding today along the road by Crockett Lake on Whidbey Island, I watched an America White Pelican come in for a landing in the shallows. It caused quite a kerfuffle among a large gathering of gulls, who rose up and whirled around briefly. They must have figured out that this gigantic intruder wasn't a predator; the pelican stood among them resting for the last few minutes that I watched.

Brenda Burnett
Seattle
beaknbird at hotmail dot com

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