Andale, Andale; Anhinga, Anhinga!

Q and I have been watching the progress of this year’s birds at the UT Southwestern rookery since late March. Most of the great egret juveniles have been testing out their wings and making short practice flights. Black-crowned night heron and anhinga juveniles are branching, and some of the juvenile herons are flying. Several tricolored herons arrived a few weeks ago, although I have seen branching tricolored juveniles as well as just-hatched tricolored chicks. Cattle egret chicks are beginning to hatch. Ibises have just arrived, and although I’ve seen a few little blue herons throughout the season, only recently have I seen one standing on the beginnings of a nest.

Q and I typically visit the rookery on one of the weekend days. On Saturday, June 27, I went to the rookery alone because Q was involved with Field Day, which is a holiday for ham radio operators.

Unfortunately, all of the fledging activity makes it more difficult for me to know if juvenile great egrets on the ground need help or if they are on the ground intentionally. The main criterion I used last year was to hang back and watch them for a while to see if they took off. I saw J R at the rookery that June Saturday, and he suggested another way of thinking of my problem: if the bird looks like it’s having fun, don’t disturb it!

I have been to Rogers several more times since taking Number One and Number Two there. On this Saturday at the rookery, I had already walked over three-quarters of the way around the rookery and was trudging up the path back toward the Memorial Garden. Then I noticed, about five yards away from where I was standing, an anhinga sitting on the ground near the path.

My first impulse was to stop and take a picture. Just as that thought occurred to me, a more urgent thought overrode it: “WHY IS THAT ANHINGA ON THE GROUND?!”

The anhinga looked like a juvenile. I knew that juvenile anhingas branched, like owls, as they grew into adults, leaving the nest early but staying high in the trees until they were able to fly. They didn’t spend time on the ground. The juvenile was on the edge of the path and could disappear into the trees at any moment.

I dropped my stuff, grabbed a blanket, and ran as fast as I could toward the bird.

She didn’t seem able to fly, and I grabbed her. Like pelicans, anhingas have gular pouches, and when I got a hold of the juvenile, she turned toward me, flared out her gular pouch, and struck. It was only habit that kept my hands firmly on the bird while I dodged her attack. I managed to get the blanket over her body, but I couldn’t get it over her head to subdue her, so she struck at me again and again. My eyes were protected by safety glasses, but my arms took several hits. I managed to wind the blanket around Miss Stabby the anhinga’s body and hoisted her off the ground. She was much stockier and heavier than the egrets I’d rescued. I held her chest and her feet as I carried her back to where my stuff was. Her feet felt very strange. I think part of the strangeness was because I wasn’t used to how much surface area her feet took up, compared with egret feet. Anhingas have large webbed feet.

When I catch egrets and herons, I wrap them securely, making sure their wings are against their body, but not too tightly, because I want them to be able to breathe comfortably. Miss Stabby would not stop fighting. She would not put her wings together. She would not stop striking at me until I managed to get the blanket over her head. Then I watched, horrified, as her head moved under the sheet, trying to find an opening. I was outmatched!

Earlier in my visit I had picked up a small abandoned egret chick and put her in the Birdie Bag. I considered just holding the egret chick and putting Miss Stabby in the Birdie Bag, but I thought that Miss Stabby was so feisty that she would just wriggle her way out and make a run for it. The only thing I could think of was to retrieve the cardboard box I had in the trunk of my car—the Birdie Box—and get the anhinga into it so I could close the top. Miss Stabby was still so wild, however, that there was no way I could gather up all my stuff and carry the anhinga to my car.

J R had already left, so I couldn’t ask him if he’d be willing to run out to my car and get the box. I had to temporarily leave most of my stuff on the ground again. I managed to get the Birdie Bag over my shoulder and, still holding the fighting anhinga, walked to my car and struggled to unlock the trunk and get the cardboard box out.

A minute later, just as I got Miss Stabby inside the cardboard box, I saw another juvenile anhinga hauling ass, running across the grass toward the rookery.

Well, shit! Where the hell did that anhinga come from? Was it related to Miss Stabby? How did they both get on the ground, and why was that bird so far from the rookery?

I couldn’t keep the box closed, and Miss Stabby kept striking. I finally had to get another towel and drop it over the top of the box to keep the bird inside. I gathered up all of my stuff, picked up the Birdie Box, and quickly walked back around parts of the rookery, looking for the other juvenile anhinga. I didn’t find her.

At Rogers, they looked over Miss Stabby. She was a little skinny and too young to be out on her own—she hadn’t developed all the feathers she needed for flying—but she was otherwise in pretty good health.

I made sure to get some pictures of her while she was in the Birdie Box at the rookery, because when on earth would I have the opportunity to rescue another juvenile anhinga?

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX and rescued

Miss Stabby the anhinga peers out of the Birdie Box.

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX and rescued

She glowers like a supervillain. Just what were you plotting before you wound up on the ground, Miss Stabby?

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX and rescued

YOU’LL GET NOTHING OUT OF ME, HUMAN. NOTHING!

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX and rescued

YOUR BOX SHALL NOT HOLD ME! VIVA LA BIRD! FREEDOM!

The next day, Q and I went to the rookery together. We were almost ready to leave when I spotted another juvenile anhinga hiding among some weeds, close to where I’d found Number One and around the corner from where I saw Miss Stabby the day before. Capturing a distressed bird is MUCH easier with two people compared with one person! I was pretty sure that the anhinga was Miss Stabby’s little sister and the same anhinga I’d seen running toward the rookery the day before. Although the bird was feisty, she wasn’t quite as active as Miss Stabby.

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX and rescued

Q prepares Miss Stabby’s Little Sister for wrapping and placement in the Birdie Box.

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX and rescued

WHAT IS HAPPENING? I AM SO CONFUSED.

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX and rescued

FIRST MY SISTER WAS CAPTURED AND PUT IN BOX AND TAKEN TO BIRDIE JAIL. NOW I AM CAPTURED AND PUT IN BOX . . .

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX and rescued

OMG! THEY’RE GOING TO TAKE ME TO BIRDIE JAIL!!!

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX and rescued

OH, THERE ARE FISHIES IN BIRDIE JAIL? FRESH WITH NO REGURGITATE? HMMM.

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX and rescued

OKAY, BIRD HAS DECIDED. BIRD IS READY TO BE BOOKED INTO BIRDIE JAIL, PLS.

Sadly, Q and I learned later that one of the rescued anhingas died. We suspect that it was Miss Stabby’s Little Sister. The bird that died was apparently too emaciated to recover when we found her. I’m still glad that we picked up the anhingas and that Rogers tried to save them both. If I don’t pick a bird up at all, it will surely die unless another human intervenes. If I do pick a bird up, it may still die . . . but there is also a chance it will live, and that’s a chance it wouldn’t get if I left it alone.

Q and I went back to the rookery on Friday, July 3. We found no other anhingas in the rookery, although we did see a very small black-crowned night heron chick sitting in some mowed grass outside the rookery. It was in a section of the rookery where there weren’t any nearby nests, so I’m not sure how the bird got where she was. Regardless, I picked her up and put her in the Birdie Bag.

Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) chick found on and rescued from the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX

Black-crowned night heron chicks really, really remind me of little baby dinosaurs.

Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) chick found on and rescued from the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX

The chick was totally freaked out. Her eyes were pinning like crazy, and because her irises were so light-colored, the flashing pupils were very noticeable.

Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) chick found on and rescued from the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX

Forget the Hypnotoad; this was the Hypnoheron!

Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) chick found on and rescued from the ground at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOHERON! AND FISHIES.

Because we had the heron, we had to go to Rogers. That meant getting onto Woodall Rodgers to get to 45 south. When I drove, I usually took Harry Hines to get to Woodall Rodgers. I-35 south was almost always backed up, and the far-right lanes that exited to Woodall Rodgers were always the slowest; they were also not easy to get over into. I wanted to go on Harry Hines, but Q was driving. Q was tired of Harry Hines and wanted to take the highway. I said, okay, go whichever way you want, and Q ended up getting on east-bound Inwood to exit onto south-bound Harry Hines.

As we were driving on the on-ramp to Harry Hines, I saw something strange and yelled for Q to stop the car.

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) stranded on a traffic island near Harry Hines Boulevard and Inwood Road in Dallas, TX

HOWDY, HUMANS. YOU HAVE FISHIES FOR BIRD? I WILL BE ADORABLE BIRD FOR YOU IN RETURN FOR TWO TASTY FISHIES.

Perched up on a traffic island to the right of the on-ramp to south-bound Harry Hines was a juvenile anhinga. She looked about the same age as Miss Stabby’s Little Sister.

There was no pull-off, but because there was no traffic behind us, Q backed up and pulled over as far to the right as he could. The on-ramp was extremely wide, and cars could go around us without trouble. We grabbed our protective glasses, blankets, and the Birdie Box. I walked up onto the island and snuck up behind the Harry Hines anhinga while Q waited in the street. The Harry Hines anhinga became extremely agitated as I closed in on her. She ran out into the street, where Q caught her and carried her back to the island for wrapping and placement in the Birdie Box.

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on and rescued from a traffic island near Harry Hines Boulevard and Inwood Road in Dallas, TX

Q holds the Harry Hines anhinga after her capture in the street.

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on and rescued from a traffic island near Harry Hines Boulevard and Inwood Road in Dallas, TX

I AM SO ASHAMED YOU FOUND ME ON HARRY HINES. I JUST NEEDED FISHIES SO BAD. HUMANS DO IT; WHY NOT BIRD?

Juvenile anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found on and rescued from a traffic island near Harry Hines Boulevard and Inwood Road in Dallas, TX

Luckily, the juvenile was offered and accepted placement in a court diversion program to serve the remainder of her sentence at Ms. Rogers’ Finishing School for Wayward and Troubled Birds.

I don’t know if the Harry Hines anhinga survived—almost immediately after we dropped her off, Matt Leatherwood tried to feed her a nice big fish. I hope she did live, and I hope the other juvenile that survived is doing well. One of the workers at Rogers said that Miss Stabby, the anhinga that probably survived, was quite “sweet.”

Last year when I was bringing rookery birds to Rogers, I often spoke with a woman there who joked that I should bring them an anhinga. She said they used to have an anhinga named Charlie, who could not be released. Charlie was a very long-lived bird, and although they had offers from zoos and other places, they refused to give him up because he was such a sweet bird. If that woman is still working at Rogers, I haven’t seen her this year, but I would love for her to know that I finally brought them her hoped-for bird.

Rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park: Part 2

Although none of the nesting birds seemed affected by the people at the gator farm, one bird was especially nonchalant. She was a juvenile tricolored heron that was perched on a post only a couple of feet away from the main boardwalk.

Juvenile tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor) preens on a post at the rookery at the St. Augustine alligator farm in St. Augustine, FL

If I may speak frankly, you humans all look like ugly monsters.

The wood storks were starting to perk up and get a little more active. A few of them flew short distances to land and loaf on different trees.

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) flaps wings at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

The roseate spoonbills were still mostly hanging out.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Although I don’t like birds being obscured by branches, I really like the different patterns of shadows.

This next spoonbill was clamping down on branches and shaking them furiously. I’m not sure whether he was trying to gather nesting material or if he were shaking the branches as a mating display.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

I’M. TOO SEXY FOR THIS BRANCH. TOO SEXY FOR THIS TREE. SO SEXY, YOU SEE.

Some egrets had their nests in a good-enough condition that the “on-duty” incubating bird could relax and lay on their eggs.

Great egret (Ardea alba) sits on a nest at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Other egrets were actively working on their nests, even though the females had already started to lay eggs.

A pair of mated great egrets (Ardea alba) work together on a nest at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

A pair of great egrets together at their nest at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

The male snowy egret was still perching on the tree where he had run off the female he mated with.

Male snowy egret (Egretta thula) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

SNOWY IS TOO YOUNG TO THINK OF SETTLING DOWN AND BUILDING A NEST. SNOWY IS FUN-LOVING AND CAREFREE!

Another great egret had a beautiful green lore.

Great egret (Ardea alba) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Great egret (Ardea alba) begins to shake itself in a rouse at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Great egret (Ardea alba) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

HELLO, LADIES. MY ASTROLOGICAL SIGN IS THE SEXY BIRD. WHAT IS YOUR SIGN?

Other great egrets displayed, hung out on their nests, and looked for nesting material.

Great egret (Ardea alba) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Great egret (Ardea alba) scratches an itch at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. AUgustine, FL

Great egret (Ardea alba) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

The bills of the wood storks were fascinating to see up close. I remember a project in a ceramics class in which we burnished our pieces while the clay was still moist and later fired the pieces in a pit fire. The colors and the way the light hits the stork’s beak remind me of that burnished clay after it was fired.

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

The juvenile tricolored heron fluttered down to the banks and stepped into the water to hunt. At one point she walked right by a gator. The gator didn’t care.

Juvenile tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor) hunts for fish at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Juvenile tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor) hunts for fish at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

She was able to catch a few small fish, but I didn’t get any pics.

Juvenile tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor) hunts for fish at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

The spoonbill that had been shaking branches gave up.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) sleeps at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

I’M. TOO SLEEPY TO BE SEXY. POOR ME.

The other adult spoonbill that I’d been watching also went to sleep.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) sleeps at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

A different spoonbill was awake, although she was just lounging around while a pair of nearby snowy egrets were bleating and working on a nest.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Some of the wood storks started gaping again.

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) flaps wings at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL
Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

DO YOU LIKE MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME, HUMAN? I’M GOING AS A TREE.

At that point, Q and I had been at the rookery for about two hours, so we decided to go check out the other exhibits at the gator farm.

Alligator (alligator mississippiensis) lounging in water, covered in bird droppings, at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

This rookery gator cracked me up because of all the bird shit on its back. It must have been hanging out in that position for a long time.

They had an African exhibit that I really liked. There was a red ruffed lemur that was dozing.

Red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra) sleeps at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

There was also a pair of marabou storks. They were awesome! I loved their long, dangling throat sacs. One of the storks preened the other for a few minutes. The preener then briefly preened herself before wandering off to get a drink of water.

Marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer) preens at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Profile of a marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer) at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

What a striking bird.

 

Marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer) at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer) takes a sip of water at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

There were also cape griffon vultures and a hooded vulture. I thought that the hooded vulture was especially beautiful.

Cape griffon vultures (Gyps coprotheres) at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

We also walked by a couple of Galapagos tortoises.

Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) ambling around at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) ambling around at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

There were lots of other birds in other exhibits, although I didn’t take pics of them. I’ve never been particularly interested in alligators or crocodiles, but I was amazed by the diversity of the species they had at the gator farm.

One post remains.

Rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park: Part 1

Before Q and I left for Florida, I researched possible birding sites online at the Great Florida Birding Trail. I decided that Q and I should try to visit Gatorland, as it boasted a large rookery in a section of its park. My mother mentioned this to a patient of hers who was a photographer and a birder. He said, “Gatorland is the second best rookery to visit in this part of the state. The best is in St. Augustine.”

So Q and I found ourselves driving up to St. Augustine to visit the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.

A few days before we left for the gator farm, we went to their web site to buy tickets and noticed that there was a hotline number that provided updates about the rookery. Q called the number, and a week-old message began to play. Roseate spoonbills were nesting! Wood storks were arriving and pairing up! That was very exciting to me, because I had really hoped to see wood storks. Roseate spoonbills were even better; I hadn’t even considered we would get to see them.

The night before we left, Q and I went down to the lake to watch the Atlas V rocket launch. In the past, when the wind has been just right, we’ve been able to hear the take-off, although that didn’t happen this time. I wondered if the rocket would burn as brightly as the shuttle. No worries there!

Atlas V rocket launch from Cape Canaveral on March 12

The Atlas V goes up from Cape Canaveral, just as bright as the shuttle.

Atlas V rocket launch from Cape Canaveral on March 12

If you click on the pic and zoom in, you can see the two boosters, which look like small red triangles, falling from the rocket.

When Q and I got to the gator farm the next day, we eagerly followed the signs to the rookery. We ended up on a wooden boardwalk that stretched over a small stream. Gators lounged in the water and on the shores. Around the boardwalk were trees covered in great egrets, snowy egrets, wood storks, and roseate spoonbills.

I sought out the spoonbills first. Most of the birds were standing behind foliage or sleeping or lounging near their nests. The pink of their feathers was brilliant in the sunlight.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

This spoonbill was working on a nest with a mate.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) works on building a nest at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

The great egrets were ready for mating; their lores were bright green. I joked to Q, “Hey, we came over a thousand miles to see a bird we could have seen at the UT Southwestern rookery!”

Great egret (Ardea alba) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

We might be able to see the next bird down east of Corsicana, but we certainly wouldn’t be able to see it as closely as we could in St. Augustine.

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) gaping at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Some younger-looking roseate spoonbills were at the rookery. Like flamingos, the vibrant pink color of the spoonbill’s plumage comes from the food they eat. More mature spoonbills have feathers that are colored a much deeper, brighter pink.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) investigates locations for a nest at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Oh! I am so young and lonely! I wish I could find a mate!

Two roseate spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) investigate locations for a nest at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

HI! Will you be my mate?

Great egret (Ardea alba) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Now that pelican season is over, this great egret is vying to get on the cover of Wow! Waterbirds! magazine.

Not many of the wood storks seemed to have paired up. I saw only a few on nests, and a few more standing together. Most of the other storks were either hanging out by themselves or in small groups.

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

The next wood stork stood on this tree with her beak agape for a few minutes. She wasn’t panting like I’ve seen hot egrets and black-crowned night herons do, and the gape didn’t seem directed toward any other bird. From what I’ve read, female wood storks are the sex that typically engages in this kind of multi-minute gaping.

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) gaping at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

The male great egrets were out gathering sticks to bring back to their mates. That was my favorite part of watching the birds at the UT Southwestern rookery last year.

Great egret (Ardea alba) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Male great egret (Ardea alba) gathers nesting material at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Great egret (Ardea alba) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

The birds gave zero shits about the people nearby. The males frequently flew over the boardwalk as they went in search of their nesting material.

Male great egret (Ardea alba) flies to a nest with nesting material at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Coming through, coming through, gotta get this home to the missus.

Male great egret (Ardea alba) flies to a nest with nesting material at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Maybe she’ll let me mount her if she really likes the stick.

The male that was flying landed on a nearby nest and presented his stick to his mate. I watched him leave, scout out sticks, and bring them back several times. Sometimes the female was still busy weaving a stick into the nest when her mate would reappear with more material.

Female great egret (Egretta thula) receives nesting material from her mate at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FLMale great egret (Egretta thula) presents nesting material to his mate at the nest at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FLFemale great egret (Egretta thula) receives nesting material from her mate at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FLMale great egret (Egretta thula) presents nesting material to his mate at the nest at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

After the male disappeared for several minutes on another stick-gathering expedition, I started looking around again. That’s when I realized that mature roseate spoonbills have orange tails. I’m not sure whether their tails are always orange or if it is only part of their breeding plumage.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Hey, I’m still sexy, even if I don’t have an orange tail yet!

I started watching a nearby snowy egret. The first time I heard a snowy at the UT Southwestern rookery, I had a difficult time describing what it sounded like: kind of a high-pitched, goat-like, gobbling, bleating sound. Watching them was much more fun than listening to them because they were so excitable and aggressive.

The snowy I was watching turned out to be a male, because he climbed up to a female who was hanging out on the same tree and mounted her.

Male snowy egret (Egretta thula) mounts a female for mating at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Yay! Bird sex!

Snowy egrets (Egretta thula) mate with each other at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Snowy egrets (Egretta thula) mate with each other at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Snowy egrets (Egretta thula) mate with each other at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Let me whisper sweet nothings into your ear, my darling.

Snowy egrets (Egretta thula) mate with each other at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Snowy egrets (Egretta thula) mate with each other at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

His toes look like gnarled carrots.

What happened after they finished mating shocked me.

Two snowy egrets (Egretta thula) eye each other after mating at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

So, does this mean that I should start gathering sticks for you?

Male snowy egret (Egretta thula) threatens to attack the female he has just mated with at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Or does it mean that you should GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!

Male snowy egret (Egretta thula) threatens to attack the female he has just mated with at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

I mean it! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, NOW!

Male snowy egret (Egretta thula) after driving off a female he had just mated with at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Do not hate the player, human; hate the game.

The males of some bird species, such as pelicans, are initially antagonistic toward a potential mate, running off females who try to cozy up to them. Eventually the female’s persistence wears down the male’s resistance, and they pair up. Running off a potential mate, however, occurs well before the birds mate, and mating occurs after the male has accepted the female. A snowy running off a female directly after mating with her does not seem like normal behavior. I’ll have to look into it.

A different snowy egret was hanging out on a palmetto fan. Unlike the first snowy, this bird wasn’t getting any attention.

Snowy egret (Egretta thula) stands on a palmetto fan at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

I moved away from the snowies to look for other birds.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

One of the wood storks was posing nicely in a tree. Then she bent forward.

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

I love watching birds scratch. I think it looks so cute.

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) scratching an itch at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Oooooh, if only my face were closer to my claw!

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) scratching an itch at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Don’t worry, man, I got this: I’m a stork.

Another male great egret seemed to have found the perfect stick for his mate.

Male great egret (Ardea alba) gathers nesting material at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Male great egret (Ardea alba) gathers nesting material at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Male great egret (Ardea alba) gathers nesting material at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

And a different egret streaked over me on his way to his nest.

Great egret (Ardea alba) flies overhead at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Here ends part 1 with a few more wood storks.

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

I am vanquisher of the mighty itch!

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) at the rookery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL

Great Egrets Number One and Number Two Safe at Rogers

In mid-May last year, I was at the rookery at UT Southwestern. Lots of eggs had hatched, and wherever I went, I could hear the rhythmic croaking of hungry great egret chicks begging for food.

I rounded a corner and saw a small white fuzzy mass in the grass. It was a baby egret. Once I called Rogers and learned that baby egrets receive no parental help if they get knocked out of the nest, I captured the chick. She was my first-ever bird rescue.

My first rescue this year came earlier than I expected, and it involved an adult. She was lying in some weeds outside the rookery. She looked as though she were lying on a nest, except she was on the ground.

I cautiously walked toward her to see how she reacted. She reared back as though she were about to strike and flapped a wing as if she were trying to get up, but she stayed on the ground. I didn’t have any eye protection with me—I didn’t think I would need to do any rescues so early in the season—so the prospect of trying to retrieve a full-grown egret freaked me out. Luckily, I was able to collect her without incident. The volunteer at Rogers who examined Number One thought that she had hurt her back because she wasn’t able to use her legs but predicted that she should recover.

Number One, a hurt adult great egret (Ardea alba), sits in the grass at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX

You should never see a great egret on the ground like this.

I am very much pro-intervention for hurt birds. The groundskeeping employees at UT Southwestern are told to “let nature take its course” if they see abandoned chicks wandering around. I disagree with that philosophy. Birds don’t live in an unsullied state of nature. They live in the human world. Birds smash into windows, are struck by cars, get tangled in fishing line, are killed by house cats that people allow outside, and are intentionally hurt by humans. Human commercial activities and political decisions, however, affect birds on a much greater scale. A bird’s access to food, water, loafing sites, and breeding sites is dependent upon humans. Construction can clear valuable habitat. At UT Southwestern, not only has the majority of the rookery been destroyed, but construction interfered with water drainage patterns through the rookery, which means that there is less water available for the nesting birds. Carrollton once obliterated an active rookery during nesting season. And what about the “oopsies” Dallas keeps committing in the Great Trinity Forest, like the draining of a wetland pond? We’re very lucky to have Ben uncovering and publicizing the city’s misdeeds, but it doesn’t stop the city from messing up in the first place.

Digging and Draining Raises Concerns About City’s Care of Great Trinity Forest

Birds have to navigate the human world in order to survive. If an egret or a black-crowned night heron chick is able to defy the odds by managing to get outside the perimeter of the rookery after falling out or being forced out of its nest, I’m going to rescue it.

Like Number Two.

Great egret (Ardea alba) chick rescued at the UT Southwestern rookery in Dallas, TX

I close my eyes. Oh god, I think I’m falling. Out of the sky, I close my eyes . . . HUMAN, HELP ME!

When I first saw Philoctetes the pelican, I really wanted to take her to Rogers so they could see what as wrong with her leg. After talking with a few people, I decided not to try. Throughout the winter, when I saw pelicans that looked as though they were having trouble—such as a pelican that had been shot by a human, a pelican with a horrible-looking infection on her gular pouch, and a pelican with a fishing lure caught near her leg—I tried to keep an eye on them in case they got worse. In a situation where a rescue would be difficult, such as with large and social birds like pelicans, I now think that a bird should be left alone unless an injury starts interfering with her ability to feed or protect herself. Watchful waiting.

Lady Katherine is alive today because people decided not to let nature take its course. So is a Muscovy duck that Ben rescued and literally breathed life into. When I see an adult great egret fishing at the spillway, I sometimes wonder if it is one of the chicks I rescued last year.

And, of course, tons of birds are alive because of the good work done at Rogers.

Fuck letting nature take its course if there’s a chance to help a bird that is distressed.

The Last Pelican

My fears from March came true: the pelicans that remained at White Rock Lake spent their time before migration hanging out on the far-away logs and didn’t come close to the shore or the dock.

While I was in Florida, I learned that Lady Katherine had been taken to Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. K called me and told me that she’d seen Lady Katherine by the dock at White Rock Lake, and Lady Katherine was holding her body strangely and was barely responsive. There was also a huge lump on her neck. K called Rogers, and someone came out and picked up Lady Katherine.

Lady Katherine’s sickness received news coverage because her care highlighted the monetary difficulties Rogers was experiencing:

Wildlife rehab center facing closure due to money woes

North Texas wildlife hospital and rehab center in danger of closing

Injured swan drives donations for wildlife rehab center

Shortfall in donations endangers Dallas-area bird rehab center

To donate to Rogers, follow this link:

Donate to Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

Lady Katherine was extremely sick but recovered over the next week and a half. Her release was set for March 26, and I figured I’d go down to the lake to watch it.

When Kathy Rogers arrived with Lady Katherine, many of the people who had been waiting swarmed around them. I felt uncomfortable when I saw people reaching out and stroking Lady Katherine. The swan was probably quite stressed; strangers touching her could have made her even more uncomfortable.

Kathy Rogers from Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center holds Lady Katherine, a mute swan (Cygnus olor), before releasing her at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Kathy Rogers holding Lady Katherine prior to release.

Once Ms. Rogers released Lady Katherine at the shore, Lady Katherine splashed through the water until she was far enough out to swim, then steamed the hell away. First she swam down the creek in front of the marshy spit, then turned around and glided past the shore again, and finally went way out past the clumps of reeds and into the portion of the bay that was heavily treed. She was barely visible.

Lady Katherine the mute swan (Cygnus olor) steams away from shore after being released to White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX after recovering from a sickness

Fuck all y’all humans! You used probes on me! I’m outta here!

She stayed away from people for a little while but quickly became more trusting. One day I saw her swimming near the shore when there were people around. A few days later I saw her preening on the shore. Shortly after that she was following the geese again and begging for food from people.

Lady Katherine the mute swan (Cygnus olor) floating with her foot sticking out at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

All back to normal on April 22.

On the day of the release a few pelicans were hanging out near the Shore Log. It was my only chance this spring to get close-up pics of adults with breeding plumage.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) preens while standing on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) preens while standing on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

This pelican left, but another pelican that had been standing nearby swam over and took her place on the Shore Log.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stands on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Thankfully, the sun came out, and the pelican was a good model.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stands on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Kate Upton’s got nothing on this sexy bird.

 

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stands on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Look for her on the cover of Wow! Waterbirds! magazine.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stands on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

One last sultry pose.

According to J R Compton, pelicans tend to arrive on September 15 and leave by April 15. This past fall Pelican Ichiban arrived early, so I wasn’t too surprised when I went out to Sunset Bay on April 16 and saw an adult and a juvenile pelican still standing on a far-away log.

But I was surprised when I walked up the dock on April 22 and saw a juvenile pelican standing on a log near the shore.

Juvenile American white peliacn (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) performs a rouse while standing on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

What do you mean, what am I doing here? What are you doing here, human?!

Last year I saw a juvenile pelican hanging out on the Shore Log a few days after the 15th. She was a migrant, and she was gone the next day. This bird is not a migrant; K took pics of her a few weeks ago. She is recognizable because of the feathers missing from her breast.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) pauses while preening her feathers at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

One of the pelicans in the late winter population was a juvenile I called Scrappy. Scrappy had very disheveled feathers and was a low-status bird. I wonder if this bird is Scrappy. I don’t remember Scrappy missing so many feathers, but that could have happened sometime in March or April. I’m calling the bird Lola for now.

Lola was very skittish and raised her wings to fly when I first glimpsed her. She settled back down and preened as I inched further up the dock.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stands on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Lola pauses in her preening. You can see the patch of missing feathers on her breast. Poor bird. I hope she didn’t pluck them out herself because of stress.

Eventually someone else walked up the dock, and Lola freaked. She didn’t fly, though; she ran out into the water, flapping her wings madly, and swam to one of the far-away logs.

J R said that a few years back a juvenile remained at the lake for the summer. I wonder if Lola will do that or if she is just getting a very late start on migration. She needs to be around other pelicans, even if she doesn’t go north.

Spring Is Here!

When Q and I left for Florida in mid-March, Dallas was cold, gray, and rainy. When we returned from Florida, Dallas was cold, gray, and rainy . . . but it was also green.

One of Q’s friends gave him an owl house. We put it up too late in the season last year to attract any screech owls, but early last spring a male starling tried to tempt a female into nesting there with him. It didn’t work, and the owl house remained empty.

This year we have residents.

Two squirrels snuggling together in a bird box in Dallas, TX

Hey, those aren’t birds!

The squirrels are actually pretty cute to watch. Sometimes they peek out of the hole, like they are doing in the picture, but occasionally one of them will be hanging halfway out of the hole, just chilling.

I brought back a bunch of plants with me from Florida and spent a few days potting them up. While I was working, I kept noticing Carolina wrens flitting about on the ground near me.

I see Carolina wrens every day in the backyard, although they are most active at dusk.

Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) poses on a stick in Dallas, TX

Carolina wren in the backyard in 2014.

These wrens were out in the middle of the afternoon, and they were tolerating me being fairly close to them. I assumed they were building a nest, but I didn’t know where the nest was located.

Until I saw them flying into the grill.

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) peeks its head out of a grill where it is building a nest in Dallas, TX

Hi. This is mine now.

Sure enough, two Carolina wrens were gathering nesting material and depositing it inside the grill. They worked tirelessly for a few days.

Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) arrives at a nest inside of a grill with nesting material in Dallas, TX[

Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) arrives at a nest inside of a grill with nesting material in Dallas, TX

Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) pauses before flying away to look for nesting materials in Dallas, TX

Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) holds a piece of nesting material in Dallas, TX

Carolina wrens are infamous for building nests in odd, human-associated places. When I lived in Florida, I watched Carolina wrens build a nest in an open carton of Epsom salts. A pair raised young in an ornamental wreath on my mom’s front door. An old friend ended up with a Carolina wren’s nest inside his garage. Unfortunately, I think the Carolina wrens may have abandoned the nest in the grill. I haven’t seen a bird flying into or out of it since the wrens built the nest. Neither Q nor I have disturbed the grill in case the birds are using it.

A few other backyard birds have posed for me.

Male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) on a pecan branch in Dallas, TX

Downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) scales up a tree in Dallas, TX

The cardinals have learned to get seeds directly from the bird feeder instead of grubbing on the ground below it. Typically the female flies to the feeder first and eats some while the male keeps watch nearby. Then the male hops on another perch on the feeder next to her. Last year I frequently saw downy woodpeckers flying onto the feeder and taking seeds, but that hasn’t happened yet this year.

The best part of spring is watching all the plants start to grow again.

Emerging grape (Vitus) leaves in Dallas, TX

New leaves unfurling on a grapevine.

I have four different rabbiteye blueberry plants. Because the soil here is alkaline clay, I have to grow the blueberries in large pots with acid soil.

Blueberry blossoms (Vaccinium ashei) in Dallas, TX

Blueberry blossoms.

In 2002 I started growing a key lime from seed. I had read online that certain citrus fruits come true-to-type if grown from seed—no grafting needed for edible fruit. That plant is now a tree called Big Ouch. She is almost twelve feet tall, and in the past few years, could be counted on for at least a hundred key limes each season. I have air-layered and detached fruiting branches from her to start new trees, called Ouchlettes. The oldest Ouchlette is almost as tall as Big Ouch herself, although not as wide.

Key limes are the least hardy of the citrus plants I grow. Q used to carry them in and out of the house or the shed to protect them from cold weather, but Big Ouch got too large and heavy. Not only was she too large, but because she was seed grown, she was extremely thorny. Q designed makeshift greenhouses that he erects every fall and disassembles every spring to protect the citrus trees and other tender plants from cold weather.

Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia) blossoms in Dallas, TX

Flowering blossoms on key lime branches.

Orange blossoms on an Everhard navel orange tree in Dallas, TX

Orange blossoms.

Peach blossoms on a "Harvester" peach tree in Dallas, TX

Peach blossoms on the Harvester tree.

Flowering plants mean bees and bugs.

This next bug was one that I learned about in a painful manner. A couple of years ago I was deadheading an old rose blossom with my fingers. Suddenly I felt a sharp, horrible pain in my finger. The sharpness of the pain quickly dulled, but the sensation of pain became stronger. It didn’t feel like a scorpion sting or any insect, bug, or spider bite I’d ever had.

Only when I was hurt again a few months later and managed to capture the bug was I able to identify the culprit. It was an assassin bug.

Assassin bug (Zelus luridus) on a citrus leaf in Dallas, TX

That is such an inflammatory name. I prefer “bug with stabby bits that doesn’t mind using them.”

It uses a beak that it keeps folded underneath its head to stab its prey. Human fingers that are deadheading a rose or pulling weeds are apparently considered to be prey.

Carpenter bee (Xylocopa tabaniformis) on a citrus blossom in Dallas, TX

I won’t sting you, pelicansrulegullsdrool!

Carpenter bees, honeybees, and mason bees were all over the citrus blooms.

Carpenter bee (Xylocopa tabaniformis) on a citrus blossom in Dallas, TX

Good stuff, gimme some of that good stuff.

Carpenter bee (Xylocopa tabaniformis) on a citrus blossom in Dallas, TX

Carpenter bee (Xylocopa tabaniformis) on a citrus blossom in Dallas, TX

Carpenter bee (Xylocopa tabaniformis) on a citrus blossom in Dallas, TX

Honeybee plundering a peach blossom for pollen in Dallas, TX

The next bee is one of my favorites. It’s a blue orchard mason bee. Last year I only saw it in the spring when the citrus flowers were blooming. I’m a little luckier this year; I’ve seen a couple of them hanging around the “Maggie” rose bush. They are leafcutter bees, and they really like rose leaves.

Blue orchard mason bee (Osmia lignaria) pauses on a citrus leaf in Dallas, TX

And I’m a bright, sparkly blue!

The wasps are hanging out, too.

Wasp (Polistes bellicosus) investigating a peach blossom in Dallas, TX

Wasp (Polistes bellicosus) cleaning itself in Dallas, TX

Last year I became intrigued with flies. Q was grossed out: “They’re ugly, and they spread disease,” he said. But he had never seen a Promachus robberfly when he said that, and I had.

Robberfly (Promachus species) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Seriously, this fly is awesome.

Late last summer when birding was boring and I started watching more bugs, I saw all sorts of different flies. Some of them were mimics, which are my favorites, but they were all fascinating. A few interesting flies have already stopped by this spring.

Syrphid fly (Somula decora) resting on a citrus leaf in Dallas, TX

Syrphid fly (Somula decora) resting on a citrus leaf in Dallas, TX

Unidentified fly on a "Maggie" rose bloom in Dallas, TX

I don’t know what kind of fly this is. Any ideas?

I have always had a soft spot for the next fly because I think it resembles an ant.

Picture-winged fly (Delphinia picta) on a "Maggie" rose leaf in Dallas, TX

The Carolina anoles have returned.

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) relaxing in Dallas, TX

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) relaxing in Dallas, TX

Dragonflies and damselflies are re-emerging. I was surprised to see this damselfly hanging out with honeybees among the blooming arugula. If anyone reading is interested in cultivating plants that attract bees, plant some arugula in the winter. Bees love the flowers, and you will get tons of seed.

Unidentified damselfly (possibly spreadwing) clings to an arugula bloom in Dallas, TX

Digging and turning over leaves and rocks sometimes reveals rough earth snakes. The first time Q and I encountered one, we thought it was a baby snake because it was so small. Eventually Q wrote to a herpetologist who identified the snake as an adult rough earth snake. Adults are typically 7-10 inches long.

Rough earth snake (Virginia striatula) in Dallas, TX

They live in a ho-ho-ho-ho-hole (tiny hole), which is usually empty.

The nicest backyard visit thus far this spring has been from the giant swallowtail butterfly. Giant swallowtails often visit the backyard because they lay their eggs on citrus leaves. One has to be lucky to see them; they only hang around for a few minutes before floating away. This butterfly was only interested in the citrus blossoms.

Giant swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) drinking nectar from citrus blooms in Dallas, TX

Giant swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) drinking nectar from citrus blooms in Dallas, TX

Giant swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) drinking nectar from citrus blooms in Dallas, TX

Giant swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) drinking nectar from citrus blooms in Dallas, TX

Giant swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) drinking nectar from citrus blooms in Dallas, TX

Giant swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) drinking nectar from citrus blooms in Dallas, TX

Coming soon: Q and I had some good birding experiences in Florida, and the rookery at UT Southwestern is currently hopping with great egrets.

A Day of Sunshine: February 6, 2015

It’s time for something old and something (a little closer to) new.

Pelicans, like other birds, begin developing breeding plumage long before they breed. January/February is when I think the pelicans look their best. Their breeding horns are noticeable, but they aren’t huge. Their dark eyes are lightening as the color slowly changes to blue. The plumes on their heads are getting just long enough to have a nice “Crazy Harry” appearance, especially when the wind is blowing.

Image of Crazy Harry from muppet.wikia.com

I suspect that more than a few pelicans have Crazy Harry tendencies beyond the hair.
(Image from muppet.wikia.com)

I think that the pelicans look their ugliest in March, although they are probably super sexy to each other. Their horns are huge. Their breeding plumes have grown so long that they look like unkempt hair that desperately needs a trim (and in the fall, I’m always shocked by their lack of breeding plumes; they look as though their heads have been shaved). Their eyes are light blue, which looks nice with the orange-red of their feet and portions of their pouches, but they also develop ugly black streaks on their bills, gular pouches, and around the contours of their faces.

Here are some pics from mid- and late-March 2014 that show off pelican breeding plumage.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in breeding plumage swims at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in breeding plumage swims at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Here you can really see the black streaks around the pelican’s facial features and on her gular pouch and beak.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in breeding plumage flying at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

HOLY SHIT IT’S A FLYING CERATOSAURUS!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in breeding plumage stretches her wing while loafing on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in breeding plumage loafing on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

This bird stayed too long on Dune and got addicted to the spice.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in breeding plumage swims at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in breeding plumage swims at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Everyone thinks that the album title “Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back” refers to Sinatra himself. Everyone is wrong. The title refers to sexy pelicans!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in breeding plumage flying at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

It’s a shame that the pelicans don’t breed here; their breeding horns are so unique that it would be easy to identify individual birds.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in breeding plumage swims at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

SHE’S COMING RIGHT FOR US, CAPTAIN!

February had been a terrific month for pelican watching in 2014. K and I sometimes stayed out for hours watching them. Additional groups of pelicans started passing through, and sometimes in the evenings there were so many pelicans loafing by the dock that the birds were spread out from the loafing grounds to the Queen of the Log log.

Not this February.

I don’t think I saw any noticeably new pelicans. Maybe once or twice I thought there were slightly more pelicans than usual, but I mostly saw a small, stable crew. Some good news is that pelicans that have been here since the beginning of the season, such as Copper Woman, are still here. So is S21; I smile every time I see her green wing tags. But February was mostly gray and cold, and the pelicans spent most of their loafing time huddled up on or near the marshy spit.

So far, March doesn’t seem any good, either. Even on milder days the pelicans are choosing to loaf on the far-away logs instead of near the shore or near the dock. Last year, as more pelicans flew north and fewer birds were left at the lake, the remaining birds moved to the far-away logs, but that didn’t happen until late March. I really hope that the pelicans are loafing on the far-away logs because the water level is too high by the dock. Q and I will be going on a trip to Florida soon, and hopefully I can still observe close-up pelican action when we return.

In early February there were some sunny days when the pelicans were still feeling frisky, so I will post some pics from that time. The action started on the Shore Log. When I first got there, a pelican was preparing to fly.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) prepares to take off from a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I tracked her as she sailed past the Shore Log and flew out to the deeper parts of the lake to meet up with the pelicans that were out fishing.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in flight at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in flight at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in flight at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

It took me until this winter to realize that both double-crested and neotropic cormorants wintered at White Rock Lake. In January the neotropic cormorants had been very active, and I had enjoyed watching them.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) and neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) gape at each other on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Hey (hey), you (you), get off of my log!

One might think that because the pelicans are so large, they always win a challenge with a cormorant. That’s not true. Sometimes the pelican is scared off. Sometimes the cormorant is scared off. Often the confrontation ends in a draw. This one ended in a draw.

A few more pelicans jumped up onto the Shore Log.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stands on a log with another pelican and a neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stands on a log next to a neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Unfortunately, they didn’t do much but preen, so I went to the dock to see if anything were happening there. All I saw was a bunch of coots feeding.

American coot (Fulica americana) upends to look for food at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

HUMAN, DO YOU THINK I HAVE A SEXY BUTT?

American coot (Fulica americana) swims in the water at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

What do you mean, you’re not into birds like that? That one goose sure thinks you are!

Greylag goose (Anser anser) stands on the shore of White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

How dare you, sir coot! I am a gentleman! I think no such thing!

Back at the shore, pelicans were flying into the bay and looking for places to loaf. A pelican hopped up onto the log and scared the bejesus out of the pelican next to her.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) jumps onto a log and tries to attack another pelican at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Mom! Mom! Mom! Guess what! Guess what!

Luckily for the first pelican, the new bird forgot about fighting and just flapped her wings.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) flaps her wings on a log next to another pelican at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) flaps her wings on a log next to another pelican at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Another pelican got ready to jump up. . . .

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) prepares to jump on a log next to another pelican at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

. . . She was immediately attacked by the pelican that was already on the log.

(Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

Even the cormorant started to get pissed off.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) fight while a neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) gapes at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Goddammit, don’t you pelicans ever just CHILL OUT?!

The pelican that had jumped onto the log was losing the fight. She was forced off the log and tried to step forward back onto it.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) loses her balance during a fight with another pelican and a neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

She managed to get back onto the log, but the attack from the other pelican was so fierce that the beleaguered pelican jumped forward into the water and swam to the marshy spit to loaf there.

I glanced out at the water and caught Lady Katherine finishing a full-flap and sinking back into the water.

Mute swan (Cygnus olor) lowers herself down onto the water after flapping her wings at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

It is I, Birdie Lady of the Lake, who shall guard Excalibur until the worthy recipient comes forth.

The log pelicans were settling down.

American white pelican flaps her wings while standing on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Excuse me, miss, but you are such a beautiful pelican. May I hold this door open for you?

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) balances on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Oh yes, thank you so much, kind pelican! The footing over the threshold is so treacherous!

A pelican engaged in a very brief bit of allopreening with another pelican. Surprisingly, the other pelican tolerated it. Maybe the preening incident was so brief that the groomed bird didn’t feel the need to attack.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) allopreens another pelican at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

One of the log pelicans squatted down as though she were about to take off. I thought she was going to fly back out to fish, but instead she flew just past the log.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in flight at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in flight at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Free fallin’, now I’m, free fallin’, now I’m.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) lands on water after a short flight at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I always enjoy seeing the water that’s kicked up as the pelicans land. Their feet must be unbelievably tough.

Back on the Shore Log, a pelican and a cormorant were squabbling.

American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) squabble with a double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Anh! Look at this! The cormorant thinks it can take me!

American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) squabble with a double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Shit, it’s still gaping at me. What should I do now, Anh?

American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) squabble with a double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

What do you mean, I’m not intimidating enough and I should let you have at the cormorant? I can be intimidating!

American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) squabble with a double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

GRRRRRR I’m a big scary pelican!

The match ended in a draw.

I went back to the dock, where I saw a pelican standing and preening on the Queen of the Log log. Another pelican swam up.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) gape at each other in anticipation of fighting at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I love watching log fights, but they are hard for me to photograph. I have to guess how much space to allow the birds and where to focus. How far up might their wings go? How far out might their wings go? Will their bodies be fairly compact as they fight, or will one or both of them be flailing around?

Luckily, I caught most of the action.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) attempts to knock another pelican off of a loafing log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Reminiscent of the pelican that drop-kicked another pelican to knock her off the log, this bird is using her beak to try to push over the log pelican.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) attempts to knock another pelican off of a loafing log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) climbs onto a loafing log after knocking another pelican from it at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

The pelican that had lost her place on the log decided to challenge the usurper.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) gape at each other in anticipation of fighting at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

YOU ASSHOLE, GIVE ME BACK MY LOG!

She quickly dispatched the usurper and situated herself back on the log, Queen again.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stands on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Who’s the badass? That’s right. You can bow now.

The defeated pelican performed a rouse, swam out to another log, and hopped on.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) finishes a rouse at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) balances on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Well, fine, I’ll just be Queen of this log!

A juvenile flew in, ran to the shore, but before getting onto the land, stopped to preen.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) flaps her wings at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) preens at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Another pelican flew in and went right for the log behind the juvenile. The log is a new addition to the loafing grounds by the dock. The pelicans love it. I’m not sure whether it’s still there or if it floated somewhere else with all the rain we got in late February.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) lands on water after a flight at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stands on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Simon says, “Put your wings up!”

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) sits down with her wings up at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Did I win? Did I win?

That was it for the pelicans that day, but two other birds decided to be photogenic. First was Cutie Pie.

Ross's goose (Anser rossii) swims in the water at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

God, I love this bird.

The other was a male lesser scaup. Sometimes I see one or two by the dock, but they aren’t there every day like they were last year. They are very pretty, especially when the sun is shining and I can see the iridescence in their feathers.

A lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) swims in the water at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I don’t need to ask your opinion, human: I know I’m sexy!

The Great Day of Play: October 17, Part 3

After the juvenile was unable to find and retrieve the water bottle from part 2, she dredged up an old, beat-up bamboo fishing pole from the water.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a bamboo fishing pole at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Humans use this to catch fish?! Why don’t they just use their pouches? Stupid humans!

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a bamboo fishing pole at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Although I try to watch what all of the pelicans are doing, I pay attention to some situations more than others. A pelican swimming or walking toward shore is one such situation. Not only might the pelican suddenly decide to run or fly, which is great, but I might be able to see a band. If a pelican is banded with a large, colorful band, like the kind used for North Dakota pelicans from Chase Lake, I can photograph the alphanumeric code as the bird is lifting its leg out of the water to walk.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) runs to shore at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Run, little pelican! Run like the wind!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) performs a gular stretch at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Show off your internal pouch structures, little pelican! Show them off like . . . well, like a lesson in avian biology, I suppose.

There was some exciting bathing action going on nearby.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) bathing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

THOSE HUMANS CAN SEE ME NAKED!

I love all the water splashing as the pelican really gets going.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) bathing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TXAmerican white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) bathing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TXAmerican white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) bathing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TXAmerican white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) bathing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

The pelican who played with the mangled red plastic cup in part 1 found the plastic container that another pelican in part 1 had grappled with.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) sights trash to play with at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

But, soft! What crap through yonder whitecaps breaks?

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with trash at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

It is the trash, AND IT IS FOR ME TO PLAY WITH. FUCK JULIET.

Another pelican—a different one, I think, than the one with the plastic container—found a rock to play with.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a stone at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Every birdie wants a rock to wind a piece of string around.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a stone at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

NOT YOURS, HUMAN.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a stone at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Can I balance it in my pouch while I swim?

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a stone at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Ah, shit! Overcorrection! IT’S GOING DOWWWWWWN!

Some pelicans were tuckered out.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) dozes while loafing on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Zzzzzz . . . fishie . . . zzzzzzzz . . . big fishie . . .

Another pelican waddled to shore, but instead of stepping up onto land, she got back into the water and swam around in the very shallow water. She kept dipping her head in the water as though she were hunting for fish and brought up a stick. Although it was a large stick, she was able to toss and catch it a few times. She found a few more sticks to play with before she finally settled down to loafing on land.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a branch at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

On the shore, Philoctetes managed to get to her feet and limp further in toward the dock. Where pelicans choose to sleep has to do with where the already-sleeping pelicans are. Being very social birds, pelicans like to stand together and sleep together. On this day, most of the birds were moving closer to the dock to find a place to sleep.

American white pelican walks on loafing grounds to find a place to sleep at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Although birds kept moving onto the shore to loaf, there was still some activity out in the water.

(Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

Rouse!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) bathing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Splash!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) bathing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

You show that water who’s boss, pelican!

One bird rushed toward the shore.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) runs to shore at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

OMG I LEFT THE IRON ON!

Another bird was content to do her loafing in the water.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) loafs in shallow water at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

She looks like a cartoon of a fat, prosperous man who has just finished eating an enormous dinner, pushed back from the table, and loosened his pants to accommodate his swollen gut while groaning in relief and satisfaction.

More pelicans were settling down on the shore. Although the pelicans would have liked the loafing grounds to themselves, they had to negotiate with the other birds who also used the area.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stands with four ducks on a loafing site at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Git along, little duckies.

I always think of the yellow-brown coloration on a sexually mature pelican’s lower neck as a “puke bib.”

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) lies on the ground, preparing to sleep, at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

God, I feel sorry for the people who have to band baby pelicans and brave the birds puking on them. Can you imagine the smell?

Another pelican joined the pelican that was lying down. That’s how they decide where to sleep: they find a sleeping bird, walk over to it, and sit down next to it.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) prepare to sleep at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Philoctetes had been sitting on the ground, engaging in some play activity: she was picking of beakfuls of leaf litter and dropping the litter so that it sifted back down to the ground. Before I left for the day, she stood up and performed a nice bill throw.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) performs a bill throw at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Bye, pelicansrulegullsdrool!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) performs a bill throw at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Except I don’t know you other than the fact that you’re one of those scary stinky mammals hovering on the dock! But goodbye anyway!

Water Bottle Madness in The Great Day of Play: October 17, Part 2

The most play that I’ve seen among the White Rock Lake pelicans occurs during times of unrest and shifting population. Migration creates those circumstances. Lots of new birds come in to rest and recharge at a new place. There are no established social rankings compared to what an individual might find when stopping off at the lake during deep winter, when there is a fairly stable core of birds. Best of all, there is a lot of new stuff to explore! Last winter and early spring, the majority of the play I saw was among specific birds who were part of the stable winter population. I was very surprised when instances of play started racking up as birds came through on their way further south this fall.

In the following pics, the pelicans were out near the far-away logs. When I notice play, I try to document what is happening; I’m not trying to get super-awesome pics. A blurry pic can still tell me how many birds are involved, what the bird’s beak is doing, where the object is, etc. For the water bottle madness, I tried to pick out the least objectionable of the pictures I had. Extreme blurriness, however, is still the fault of the template, and clicking on the pic will give you a sharper version.

First I noticed that the pelican who had been tossing pecans in the air in part 1 had found an old water bottle. The entire time she was playing with the bottle, a juvenile was trailing after her.

The adult had been swimming with the bottle inside of her pouch. She plunged her head underwater, allowing her pouch to fill with water, and repositioned the bottle so that she could grasp it with her beak.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Why might she want to grasp with bottle with her beak? So she could play catch!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

So what if the bottle didn’t really go up in the air? It still counts that I tossed and caught it!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Mine, all mine.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Balancing this thing in my beak is hard!

While the adult was playing with the bottle, the juvenile, who had been following her, darted forward and snatched up the bottle before the adult could get to it. By this time, a third pelican, another adult, had become intrigued with the water bottle play. Both adults chased after the juvenile, but she managed to hang onto the water bottle long enough to toss it into the air a couple of times, swim to where it dropped, pick it up, and toss it again.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle by tossing it in the air at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I WILL RESCUE YOU, FAIREST WATER BOTTLE!

But alas, it was not meant to be. For the third pelican sailed forward and snatched up the water bottle before the juvenile could retrieve it.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

DOES THIS MEAN I AM THE VILLAIN IN THIS STORY? I AM TOTES A NICE PELICAN, SWEAR.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Hey, this is pretty fun!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I WILL TAKE THE WATER BOTTLE AWAY WITH ME IN MY POUCH, AND Y’ALL WILL NEVER GET IT BACK! BWA HA HA HA HA!

Luckily for the first two pelicans, the third pelican dropped the bottle in the water after swimming with it in her pouch. She batted it around with her beak for a little while, trying to pick it up, then lost interest and swam away. The juvenile was more attentive than the remaining adult and managed to grab the bottle first. She resumed tossing it about.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Wherever we go, everyone knows, it’s me and my bottle.

The juvenile tossed the bottle again, and the adult slammed forward, trying to grab it. The juvenile was able to pluck it out of the water and toss it again. The adult caught the bottle in mid-air and surged forward in the water, away from the other pelican, while gripping the bottle in her beak. While she was swimming, the bottle squirted out of her beak and landed in the water away from her. Both birds dove for it.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) swabble over a water bottle in play at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

OH NO OH NO THIS CANNOT BE NO NO NO!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

You had it for a long time, juvenile! Let me have it for a little while longer!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) tosses a water bottle in play at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Toss, toss, toss the bottle. Toss it ’cause it’s mine.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Catch, catch, catch the bottle. Catch it all the time.

The adult tossed and caught the bottle in her beak several times. On the last toss, the bottle landed in the water. After a brief squabble between the pelicans, the juvenile picked up the bottle, and the adult swam away.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Finally, it is mine, all mine!

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Mine to slosh in my pouch . . .

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Mine to retrieve after I’ve tossed it in the water.

The juvenile tossed and retrieved the bottle several times.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

She is just about to fling the bottle in the air.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

After throwing the bottle, she swims forward to pick it back up again.

Then she seemed to play with it by gripping it, manipulating it with her beak, and dropping it back in the water.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Hello, my name is PELICAN, and I will be your server today. Allow me to pour your water. See? No problem. PELICAN pours so well.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Oh! Water bottle is so slippery! No worries; PELICAN will pour you more water very soon.

She continued playing with the water bottle for a little longer until she seemed to misplace the bottle and swam away when she couldn’t find it. The entire incident lasted six-and-a-half minutes.

The Great Day of Play: October 17, Part 1

Before I went out to the lake, I checked the backyard for any interesting insects or birds. I saw this paper wasp hanging out on an old section of fence.

Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) on wood in Dallas, TX

Back to migration madness!

Pelicans loaf in different areas of the bay depending upon weather, temperature, time of year, time of day, age (juvenile versus adult), safety considerations, and how many other pelicans are around. Sometimes the presence of geese or large numbers of cormorants can dissuade pelicans from loafing in certain places. On this day, a small group of pelicans had congregated on the loafing grounds by the dock, and more were swimming in that direction.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) jabs at another pelican on loafing grounds at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

They were also beginning to fight each other because, hey, they’re pelicans; that’s what they do.

Once the squabble ended, the shore pelicans went back to grooming and sleeping. That meant it was time for me to see what the other pelicans were doing.

Luckily, I only had to glance over at the Queen of the Log log to observe some action. A pelican had just jumped on the log next to a bird who had been loafing there by herself.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) lands on a loafing log occupied by another pelican at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I am such a badass to make it up here on this log.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) fight over their positions on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Oh no! Why are you not impressed with my badassery?

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) fight over their positions on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Take THAT, sucker! Teach you to hog the log all for yourself!

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) fight over their positions on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Sometimes pelicans have the funniest “startled” expressions.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) fight over their positions on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Hang on, hang on, just let me get my footing back here, then you’ll be sorry . . .

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) fight over their positions on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Oh shit. The log’s not there anymore. That’s water.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) fight over their positions on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I DIDN’T WANT TO LOAF ON THE LOG, ANYWAY!

A nearby juvenile who was preening while standing in the water paused to perform a gular flutter.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) performs a gular flutter at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

An adult was sleeping in the shallow water by the loafing grounds.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) sleeping at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

A juvenile was swimming toward the shore.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) swimming at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Then I saw the first instance of pelican play for the day. A pelican who was fishing way out by the far-away logs found a mutilated red plastic cup, picked it up, tossed it in the air, and caught it.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) playing with a red plastic cup at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

The pelican maneuvered the cup into her pouch and swam around for about a minute, occasionally clamping her upper beak down onto the cup to keep it inside her pouch.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) playing with a red plastic cup at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TXAmerican white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) playing with a red plastic cup at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

When she dropped the cup and, despite her attempts, wasn’t able to retrieve it, I looked around again.

Two pelicans swim together at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Best not be looking too hard at us, HUMAN.

5J1 was still at White Rock Lake and had chosen a log to loaf on that held a mature pelican. She half-heartedly snapped at the adult.

Two pelicans gape at each other while loafing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

The adult gaped and snapped back.

Two pelicans gape at each other while loafing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Sometimes when pelicans snap at each other, they get into an odd rhythm. One pelican leans forward and gapes or snaps at a rival, and in the middle of the snap, the challenged bird gapes and snaps back. By the time the first pelican has finished snapping, the second bird is in the middle of her own snap, which the first pelican then responds to with yet another gape or snap. The birds never snap at each other at the same time. I wonder if that behavior is intentional, keeping the threat as just a warning. If the pelicans were both leaning forward and snapping at each other at the same time, conflict would probably escalate.

Two pelicans gape at each other while loafing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Two pelicans gape at each other while loafing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

They called it a draw.

Far out in the water again, another bird had found an important piece of trash: a water bottle! Unfortunately, she didn’t do much with it.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX
American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a water bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

The Queen of the Log pelican fell asleep.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) sleeping at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Something spooked the pelicans—I don’t remember what. The good news was that the birds weren’t totally freaked out. No one was going into super-alert mode, where the birds straighten up and hold their wings slightly out from their sides so they are ready to take off instantly. The birds were suspicious but not terrified. They got into alert mode, where they all straighten up and look in the same direction, and when the danger was not resolved to their satisfaction, they began to cautiously slink away. It’s the same behavior that I’ve seen from pelicans when I walk where they can see me at times when they (presumably) haven’t seen people for a while, such as on a very cold day. If no further interruptions occur, most of the pelicans will often return to where they were originally hanging out.

Loafing American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) alert and head toward water at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Although I would vastly prefer the pelicans to not be frightened, the potential for something dramatic or interesting to happen goes way up when they are moving around the area. Such as the next bird, who found an interesting piece of trash but had a hell of a time trying to grip it.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a plastic container at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Luckily, a few minutes later the same bird was able to find an object that was easier to zoom around with.

American white pelican plays with a feather at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican plays with a feather at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

She briefly opened her beak to clamp down harder on the feather.

Elsewhere, another pelican was starting to fall asleep. I love it when pelicans let their long flight feathers droop down, like they are so tired that they’ve forgotten to hold the feathers tucked up under their wings.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) dozing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

A coot swam up to the dock and peeped at me. It did not try to pull me down under the water and drown me.

American coot (Fulica americana) in the water at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Another pelican found two pecans stuck together and tossed them in the air a few times, retrieving them from the water when she was unable to catch them in her beak. This pelican will make another appearance in part 2, when she discovers that water bottles can make great toys.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) playing with pecans at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I really like this pic.

I will end part 1 with a bathing pelican. Part 2 should be up much sooner than I’ve promised in the past!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) bathing in water at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

YOU WISH YOU WERE SUCH A GOOD BATHER AS BIRD, HUMAN!