Dick Peschke Photography

During the Spring migrations we usually see large flocks of American White Pelicans on their way to their breeding grounds. Normally they just fly on by. If they do stop over in our area it is usually at a very large power company reservoir north of town. Last year a flock of about 60 did stop on the large portion of our lake for about 20 minutes but then they were gone.

So, it was with great pleasure, that, arriving home from a day-trip to Lincoln, there was a lone pelican swimming in the lake in front of our house. It was late in the day and the setting sun was shining directly on the bird. It, with its breeding “horn-like plate” on top of its bill, swam back and forth posing for me (or maybe just teasing me) but it just wouldn’t come in for its “close-up.” This bird stayed until the sun was down and the light had faded. It returned briefly the next day, but I have not seen it since.

Maybe pelicans don’t stop on our lake because of a lack of fish. On-the-therhand we do have large numbers of Double-Crested Cormorants – they seem to like the fishing a lot. The local fishermen do not like the cormorants! 

I look forward to seeing who will show up tomorrow. It’s a wonderful world!

Our first morning at the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida, was quite exciting and very productive – photos-wise. We arrived just in time to join a “follow me” tour of the refuge’s main viewing areas. With our guide in a little electric car we followed behind in our cars. He stopped at many good viewing places, we would park behind him, get out, set up, and click away while he told us some interesting factoids about what we were witnessing.

The first excitement came while watching a Great Blue Heron have breakfast. The heron had speared a rather large fish in another part of the lake, but while trying to dine – alone – on it the pelicans crashed his party and tried to take the fish away. The heron wasn’t in a sharing mood so it flew to the secluded spot along the roadside. (First picture) – fish still well in hand…err bill.

After making sure he lost the pelicans and was again alone (except for 30 onlookers and probably as many cameras), he maneuvered the fish for easier dining. He flipped the fish into the air and then caught it in a slightly different orientation – more inline with his throat. I think the heron must have speared this fish – note the hole in the fish’s side. (Second picture)…

…Open wide. After several flips the fish was “headed in the right direction” he opened wide. Breakfast just started sliding in. Note the fish’s tail waving above the heron’s bill. (Third Picture)

And…Breakfast is served! “I can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing.” — Neither can I!

Wow! It was several minutes before his neck returned to “normal” and he flew off for a morning “snack.”

We then proceeded on to the next viewing area…