9 thoughts on “Skywatch Friday – American White Pelican

  1. Excellent capture. I was recently traveling and surprised by pelicans in South Dakota. I didn’t even get one shot, so this is a little consolation!

  2. Excellent shot! During a visit to La Crosse last spring, we were surprised to see a pelican on Mississippi River levee. We grew up there and never saw one in the area until then. We had no idea they came so far north. A worker on one of the paddleboats docked at Riverside Park said they sometimes follow the barges up from delta.

  3. Wren – Pelicans really are camera-friendly!!

    Louise – I still am surprised to have them in the general area of Rockford, IL

    MJ – that is cool… makes sense they’d follow the barges. I was surprised how far north they go to. Especially since “pelicans” are usually assumed to be the brown ones at ocean docks.

    Gwendolen – they are definitely sooo cool. And also pretty odd fellows 🙂

  4. I was traveling south today (7/28/13) on Lyford road ( between state st. & rote road) on the east side of Rockford Il., when I looked up and saw a large formation of perhaps 40-50 large birds flying northbound, but on a parallel course to me. At first I thought perhaps they were snow geese, but as distance closed between myself and the formation, I realised that they were American White Pelicans. They were flying (as geese) in a perfect V formation. Very cool… never seen them around here before.

  5. Wes – sweet sighting! I have seen pelicans at Nygren Wetlands and less often along the Rock River. I hope they are getting more and more common around here.

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