The Hunt “Heats Up”

With failures (to find the Brown Pelican) at places like East Ave Boat Launch and Fairview Business Park, it was time to head back to the epicenter of the action: South Pier. BirdingPI.com staff had been previously stymied at that location due to bad weather, but with recent reported sightings, it was time for more suffering in the cold.

Presque Isle Bay as seen from South Pier
Gulls on North Pier @ Coast Guard station

Air temperature approximately 1.6 degrees C (35 def F) + heavy/gusty winds = wind chill factor well below freezing. With confirmation that the pelican had been seen that day in the huge groups of gulls at the end of the pier, the only options were to wait it out or go back to HQ in defeat.

East end of South Pier w/ lots and lots of gulls
Looking for a pelican in a sea of gulls
Lots of gulls
Gulls on North Pier @ North Pier Light
So many gulls
Mostly Ring-billed Gulls
Mallard and Long-tailed Ducks off end of South Pier
Herring Gull left of center
Gulls in flight
What’s that brown spot?
Adult and immature Long-tailed Ducks (on right)
At least a few Herring Gulls
Gulls in flight over mixed gulls
Has anyone seen a pelican?
Gull texture
More gulls in flight
Hmmm, more brown birds
Another brown bird, not a pelican
Immature Long-tailed Duck
More gull texture I
Texture II
More gull texture III

How could a large brown bird like a Brown Pelican, even if immature, hide so well in this giant flock of mostly white gulls?

Coming up later this season on BirdingPI.com, “Wait, what’s that???”

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