White pelicans at Fort Desoto

On January 26, 2015January 27, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography17 Comments

I had heard there were white pelicans hanging around Fort Desoto. They can usually be seen way off in the distance near one of the spoil islands around the park. I was walking down the north beach at the end of December and spotted a bunch of white dots from far away. I looked through my lens and realized they were white pelicans. I ignored all of the usual shorebirds along the way and headed straight for the lagoon. There must have been a few hundred there. Most were hanging out on the little sandbar across the lagoon but a few would head into the water and float by.

Our World Tuesday Graphic

It’s a bird, it’s a plane. No, it’s a bird. – Skywatch Friday

On December 18, 2014December 9, 2014 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography10 Comments

Juvenile bald eagle soaring overhead.

“Look up. There’s a white pelican flying by.”

“Here comes a few more white pelicans.”

“Now it’s a party.” Too bad they didn’t land where we could see them.

The black vulture has an all black face.

Turkey vultures have a pink face. The one in the front looks like a juvenile. His face will turn darker pink like the one in the back and his feathers will get darker on his next molt.

A lone pelican swimming in the lake.

At first all I saw was the one white pelican swimming by far out in the lake. Later down the trail, hundreds of them flew overhead. They may have been heading to the other side of the lake but we couldn’t see them from anywhere on the trail. It was a beautiful sunny morning in late November at Circle B Bar Reserve.

High up in the sky – Skywatch Friday

On February 27, 2014February 16, 2014 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography11 Comments

This was the first time I’ve seen hooded mergansers at Circle B Bar Reserve.

Tricolored heron reflection

Wood stork out in the marsh.

Baby great blue heron almost grown up, still on the nest.

Cattle egret fly-by.

White pelicans coming across the lake.

White pelicans flying over my head.

Not quite fully grown eagle flying high up.

An adult eagle flying over my head in circles.

It was a rare beautiful morning in late January. This winter seems to be the year of the icky weekends. I know, it could be worse. I could actually be living up north where it SNOWS so I can’t complain. There’s still hundreds of white pelicans at the park but they usually stay pretty far away, across the lake. You have to catch them flying high overhead. It was a quiet morning but a perfect morning for a long walk.

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