IT'S A PELICAN!!!

Pelicans have a yellowish pouch connected to the lower mandible of the beak that stretches up to six inches, which can hold three gallons of water! Their bodies are mostly white, with black primaries and outer secondaries, which are hidden until the bird outstretches it's enormous wings. During mating season the male develops a fibrous plate on the upper part of the beak, this is a unique characteristic of the white pelican, it seems to decrease in size throughout the summer. Also the bill is bright orange during the mating season. Their feet are orange, and are webbed not only between the four front toes but also between the second toe and the inwardly directed back toe. They have an enormous wingspan of 8 - 9.5 feet. Their legs are orange, and are extremely short.

The eggs hatch after one month; both parents sit on the eggs. The chicks are then fed by eating regurgiated food out of the beak. The babies are born featherless; the early down is grey.

The family, or raft of several pelicans live on a mat of grass and twigs right on the water. At Leech Lake where we fish, several sit together along with cormorants and sea gulls. In three days of wind gusting up to 50mph, one would think it would have broken up. I am happy to report it did not.

I asked Tom what they were doing with they seemed to be in a circle moving towards each other. They were working together to round up minnows! One of the neatest things was that they all 'scooped' at the same time.

The nesting time is over and the little ones can swim; in three months they will be flying! We went by trolling motor near the their nesting/sitting area today. The birds on Leech are used to boat traffic; rather than flying away; they simple went into the water on the opposite side and floated away. We did wonder if they were molting and could not be air borne. We don't know the answer for you.

A safe estimate for the bay we were fishing in this morning would be 100 or more. We were fishing on Boy Bay. Every bay has pelicans--the numbers are mounting, perhaps in the hundreds.

I am looking forward to seeing how they wobble the skin on their lower beak to cool off. That is, of course, if it isn't too hot for this fisherperson to be watching them!

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