A place I always check out about the first of June each year is North Point Park in Sheboygan. It usually has some action and today was no different. Guessing there were between 200-300 American White Pelicans on the rocky point. What beautiful birds! Some fished out on the open water, some slept on the rock, some just hung out but these birds are preening machines as that is what they did the most. It was an enjoyable early morning watching these majestic birds in action. It was cool at times today being on the water, wished I had a light coat on occasion, sunny skies to start but then that turned to overcast. I was told by one of the locals that these birds will move up to Green Bay in the next few weeks for the summer. Images were taken on June 12, 2017.
An adult with a fish…the horn on the bill is disappearing as it is the end of the breeding season…the bill first appears at the beginning of the breeding season…
American White Pelican
Binomial name: Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Category: Pelicans
Size: 62” long, 108” wing span
Weight: 16.4 lbs
Cool fact: One of the largest birds in North America. Their pouch, bottom of their bill can hold up to 3 gallons of water.
The rock point where the pelicans hang out from a distance…
In flight
Adult fishing
2 fishing
Adult coming in for a landing, this is what they do……possible 3 juveniles on the far right side with no black on head…
Some interaction…
Adult circling around to land…
Before landing
Touching down to land…
Wing spread and a look at the foot
Some of the norm today…
A group of adults coming in to land…
Landing
3 coming in, pretty much the norm today with some coming and some going…
Landing
Circling before landing…
Just before landing…
The landing
Some circling above..
A soft landing…
A possible juvenile, some heaving preening here which went on all day with all of them…
Adult, a fish in bill…
Just after takeoff from the point…
Possible juveniles with a couple sleeping…
Just a gulp!
Some have the bump on top of the break. Does that signify adults or their gender? Also do you know if they stay in that area for very long? We have several on Lake Winnebago but I’d sure love to see this bunch!
Thanks for sharing your excellent photos!
Yes, definetly a unique bird, the Pelican . We have watched them at Horicon and even on a few local ponds on occasion and are very entertaining at that. Nice pics and thanks for sharing your views.
The “bump” on the beak signifies they are breeding birds. Why they are showing up in such large numbers along Lake Michigan is a mystery to me. A local birder, Jim Hess, says he was told that the suitable breeding areas may be at capacity so these birds may be ready to breed but have no place to go.
You’ve really done a great job again, Jim. You’ve recorded a lot of different poses and activity with your superb photos. I really appreciate seeing your work.