BIRDS OF SUMMER, 2008

I've been living in the Security/Widefield area for over 14 years now and for as long as I can remember the Pelicans have always heralded the coming of summer. Although their numbers have dwindled over the years and they no longer nest at Carp Lake (aka Pelican Pond) due to human interference, they still make a rest stop at the old fishing hole before settling for the summer at Big Johnson Reservoir. This year the size of the flock has almost doubled from that of last year.

A couple of resident Canada geese took exception to the overnight invasion and tried to persuade their uninvited guests to leave but the much larger American White Pelicans ignored them and continued to paddle lazily across the water. While patience is not a strong point with the honkers, the geese eventually took flight. They will return when the pelicans leave on the final leg of their journey, just a couple of miles away. During the mating season the male pelican developes a fibrous plate on the top of its bill, which will fall off after a successful mating.

I have never been up close to a pelican but interact with Canada geese quite often and consider the geese to be rather large birds. Imagine my surprise when I saw how the pelicans dwarfed the geese when they swam side by side. Just to give you an idea, the Canada goose has a wing span of about 6 feet and weighs around 14 pounds while an American White pelican has a wing span of 9 feet and weighs approximately 20 pounds.

CARP LAKE, COLORADO SPRINGS

Tags: American White Pelican