While fly fishing for shad below the John Day Dam on Monday evening and Tuesday morning, I saw the largest group of American White Pelicans I've ever seen. There were at least 150 of those big birds below the dam, I presume feeding on the remains of shad that get flushed into the turbines, as most of the pelicans were close to the bottom of the dam. Quite a sight to see this many huge birds in one spot! The shad runs have been at record levels the past several years and I wonder if the increases in the number of shad have resulted in increases in the population of the pelicans?

When leaving on Tuesday morning, I stopped by the boat launch just to take a look and heard a bird singing in a tall tree behind the outhouse, but I didn't recognize the song. I got out my binoculars and it turned out to be a colorful Lazuli Bunting, which was a nice surprise.

Good birding!

Rex Takasugi
Kent, WA

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