Last March when the American White Pelicans left White Rock for their nesting grounds in either Salt Lake or Molt, Montana, one pelican could not make the trip because for rehab of injuries. He spent the entire winter here on the lake hanging out with the ducks, geese and mallards. He was lonely, for sure, as most of us think about being left at the "bus stop" as my mom referred to nursing homes and the like. Ironically, this past week I recall going by a couple of retirement places and thought to myself that I had to tell my baby brother that if he ever put me in a place with a names like Autumn Leaves or Golden Haven or Golden Acres, I'd come back to haunt him. That pelican has reminded me of that over the winter as I would see him off by himself along the shore line.
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Today, I was also reminded that the annual arrival of the American Whites back to White Rock is fast coming to term. For the past 8 years that I have documented the arrival date as October 12th. However, like the Swallows of San Juan Capistrano who dispatch a few scouts ahead of the main flock by several days and so---the American Whites do the same by about two weeks, give or take a few days because of weather systems etc.,etc. The Buzzards (turkey vultures) of Hinckley, Ohio have been returning there since the massive animal kill of 1888.They have come on March 15th since 1957. The swallows on March 19th which is St. Joseph's Day. Birds are instinctive, they are.
The past two weeks I have been shooting hummingbirds at multiple locations with the hummers also here on migration. After shooting today, I drove over to Sunset Bay (the water project has closed the roads from Lake Highlands Drive to Poppy for the next phase of construction)
Low and Behold, there was a scout here swimming with our old boy from rehab and he was having the time of his life. I had not seen him so active and I know for sure now that the old bird being a social breed by instinct, was rejoicing and it was most obvious. So, now, I can note the arrive of the first scout and will need to start watching for other arrivals.
I have been very concerned since seeing the National Park Service article about the 13,000 birds killed in a sudden hail storm in Molt about a month ago. Most of our birds do go to Molt to nest in March although some do go to Salt Lake as those tagged do so indicate.
Most likely our winter-overs may very well be less this year, the final total count will soon reveal the answers to our concerns. It is a very large number to be killed by baseball size hail; 13,000.
.
Today, I was also reminded that the annual arrival of the American Whites back to White Rock is fast coming to term. For the past 8 years that I have documented the arrival date as October 12th. However, like the Swallows of San Juan Capistrano who dispatch a few scouts ahead of the main flock by several days and so---the American Whites do the same by about two weeks, give or take a few days because of weather systems etc.,etc. The Buzzards (turkey vultures) of Hinckley, Ohio have been returning there since the massive animal kill of 1888.They have come on March 15th since 1957. The swallows on March 19th which is St. Joseph's Day. Birds are instinctive, they are.
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| The Old Boy Left Behind |
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| The Main Flocks Scout Arrives Almost on time. That seems to indicate that by the annual arrival date of October 12th (give or take a few days) Our Old Boy was like a kid in a candy shop to see one of his own. |
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| Fishing was good,too. |
The past two weeks I have been shooting hummingbirds at multiple locations with the hummers also here on migration. After shooting today, I drove over to Sunset Bay (the water project has closed the roads from Lake Highlands Drive to Poppy for the next phase of construction)
Low and Behold, there was a scout here swimming with our old boy from rehab and he was having the time of his life. I had not seen him so active and I know for sure now that the old bird being a social breed by instinct, was rejoicing and it was most obvious. So, now, I can note the arrive of the first scout and will need to start watching for other arrivals.
I have been very concerned since seeing the National Park Service article about the 13,000 birds killed in a sudden hail storm in Molt about a month ago. Most of our birds do go to Molt to nest in March although some do go to Salt Lake as those tagged do so indicate.
Most likely our winter-overs may very well be less this year, the final total count will soon reveal the answers to our concerns. It is a very large number to be killed by baseball size hail; 13,000.
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