Pelicans...

Coming straight for me...before I could focus my Olympus

Pelican was too close to focus (and for comfort!!!)

The Scout

Pretty impressive span.

"INCOMING.........heads down!!!"

Pelican Ballet

They just kept coming....... (same pic as last post!!)

I know the top picture is very blury and the second picture doesn't show anything....but see that orange thing on the top right-hand side (2nd pic)??? I was trying to get into the inlet (bottom picture) to see how many of the birds would be coming out of there. As I walked in, there were two still left in and were pretty afraid. They needed some air space for take off and I happened to be in the way. They flew right at me. I tried desperately to focus the camera as they approached, but alas, I had to flatten to the soggy ground.

I don't think I've ever seen that many pelicans in one spot. Many of them nest on Lavalee Lake on the northern portion of P.A. National Park. This rookery obviously nested around the Narrows at Waskesiu. They swim in a line or semi-circle and head for shore, beating their wings to "herd" the fish into a smaller area.....then.....SCOOP!!! Quite the fisherbirds.

I know I have expounded on their beauty many times here before but you know, they're worth talking about. When husband and I went fishing one day at the Heart Lakes, we found quite a few dead fish floating on the water. Not sure what that was about but gulls were there trying to cash in on this find. As soon as a gull would start in on one, a pelican would come swooping down, chasing away the gull and gulping down his fish. One gull wasn't going to have that happen to him, so as soon as he saw a pelican approach, he grabbed that fish by the head and somehow managed to swallow that whole fish himself!!! We thought he was going to choke to death. Total guts and determination!!!!

Have a "good night........sleep tight.....mind the bugs don't bite!"