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.

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!

When a Pen Loves a Gander . . .

Last year, K discovered something amazing: White Rock Lake’s mute swan, Katie, aka Lady Katherine, was mating with a goose called Patches. Willingly mating. Happily mating. In fact, Lady Katherine was usually the aggressor.

K was horrified that a swan would fuck a goose. She ended up deleting the pics she took of Lady Katherine and Patches mating because she was so grossed out. Luckily, I had witnessed a couple of their sexual encounters from last year and got some pics to document that it happened.

I wondered if they would rekindle their relationship this year. While Patches and Lady Katherine were getting it on last year, Patches was mated to a female goose called Annie with whom he socialized and had sexual encounters. Annie and Patches are still together.

Apologies for the blurriness in the thumbnails; goddamned WordPress is STILL compressing and framing my pictures strangely, despite some changes Q made.

Two geese drinking from a puddle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Annie (left) and Patches (right) drinking together from a puddle on January 23, 2015.

Mute swan (Cygnus olor) walking in the park at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

THE OTHER WOMAN.

On January 13, I was hanging out with Mister Mary Mack by the shore at Sunset Bay. It was cold outside—I’m not sure if the temperature even got to 40. Throughout the afternoon I watched the pelicans fly in and swim to the marshy spit where they loaf on cold days. When there were lulls in the pelican action, I watched the geese. Cutie Pie, the Ross’s goose that joined the goose flock at White Rock Lake, climbed out of the water and preened, and Lady Katherine waddled into the water and swam away.

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

Cutie Pie is so adorable.

Ross's goose (Anser rossii) scratches herself at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Oh! She’s itchy, too!

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) squabble on a loafing site at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

When the pelicans loaf on the marshy spit, which is small and narrow, established pelicans often gape and snap at newcomers who have to step through a dense crowd of sleeping and preening pelicans to find a spot for themselves.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) flying in for a landing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TXAmerican white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) flying in for a landing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TXAmerican white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) swimming at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) arrives at a loafing area at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

After weeks of wandering through the jungle, I happened upon a clearing where I saw the strangest sights . . .

I peered far out into the water.

Goose mating with mute swan (Cygnus olor) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Yep, that’s a swan with a goose on top of her. And she’s not giving him a piggyback ride.

Settle back, readers, and prepare to bask in the wonders of interspecies copulation. This is HARDCORE birdie action.

Lady Katherine and Patches started mating last year in late winter. At one point in time K saw them mating almost daily. I recorded two instances of their coupling in two days in late March of 2014.

Mute swan (Cygnus olor) and goose engage in pre-copulatory display before mating at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Here Lady Katherine and Patches are engaged in courtship and pre-copulatory displays, respectively. Later incidents from this year are better documented in regard to their flirting.

Goose attempts to mount mute swan (Cygnus olor) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Lady Katherine plays hard-to-get, surging forward as Patches attempts to mount her.

Goose mounts mute swan (Cygnus olor) and attempts copulatory activity at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Jesus, where the fuck do you focus when this is what you’re seeing?

Goose mounts mute swan (Cygnus olor) and attempts copulatory activity at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Well, he’s at least a little closer to, er, sealing the deal.

Is Patches successfully penetrating Lady Katherine? I’m not sure. Sometimes it does not appear to be so, but that’s not surprising; I doubt any bird achieves success every time that sex is attempted. Patches does seem to know that he has to back up much further than he would with another goose, but as you can see in the last pic, he has to negotiate around Lady Katherine’s large tail, which makes the situation more difficult. I have witnessed Lady Katherine engaging in some post-copulatory displays, and I definitely have witnessed Patches in such displays, but I don’t know if geese or swans display after successful copulation or if they do so even after attempted but unsuccessful copulation. A couple of times I saw Patches’s pseudopenis still extended after he disengaged from Lady Katherine, but again, I don’t know whether that means penetration was successful or if he had been preparing for penetration but did not succeed. I don’t remember if Patches displayed after either of the attempts I recorded last year, but I do remember that once Patches dismounted after this attempt, he chomped Lady Katherine’s neck.

They were back at it the next day.

Mute swan (Cygnus olor) and goose engage in courtship/pre-copulatory displays before mating at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Annie, suspicious of Patches’s claim that he and Lady Katherine were just “going for a swim,” decided to follow them.

Goose attempts to mount a mute swan (Cygnus olor) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

All aboard the S.S. EWWWWWWW!

Goose attempts copulatory activity with mute swan (Cygnus olor) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Patches? What the fuck are you doing?!

Goose attempts copulatory activity with mute swan (Cygnus olor) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Sadly for Annie, Patches was not yet ready to leave.

The mating sequences from 2015 will be displayed after the cut.

Continue reading

Flapping and Fun: October 16, Part 3

Dread Pirate Roberts had finished her bath and moved slightly closer to the dock to finish grooming.

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

It’s the Dread Pirate Roberts show! Starring Dread Pirate Roberts! Watch Pirate stand!

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

Watch Pirate flap!

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

Watch Pirate show off her Halloween costume as a plague doctor!

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

Watch Pirate groom!

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

Watch Pirate get sick of this shit and swim to the Shore Log!

As Pirate performed her repertoire, Lady Katherine completed a grooming session and capped it off by rising out of the water with a full-flap.

A female mute swan (Cygnus olor) flaps her wings at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Lady Katherine doesn’t always flap after grooming, but she has done it enough that K used to watch her very carefully every time she groomed.

A female mute swan (Cygnus olor) flaps her wings at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

A female mute swan (Cygnus olor) flaps her wings at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

A female mute swan (Cygnus olor) flaps her wings at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Thank you for fitting into the frame, Lady K!

A female mute swan (Cygnus olor) flaps her wings at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

When she descends with her wings held out like that, the flight feathers remind me of the fingers on the white gloves of mimes.

I went over to the Shore Log to continue watching Dread Pirate Roberts. She had hopped on near the end of the log and was grooming. The other pelicans on the log were just hanging out.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) loaf together on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

A funny thing about allopreening among pelicans: almost every time I’ve seen it, the preener was preening a sleeping pelican. Often the pelican being preened would wake up and be pissed off that it was being touched.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) preens another pelican as they loaf on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Maybe pelicans are the creepers of the avian world.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) flaps its wings as it stands next to another pelican at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Dread Pirate Roberts is pretending to be Olivia Newton John’s Grease character singing in the Shake Shack; the pelican involuntarily cast as John Travolta, however, does not think that she’s the one that he wants.

I went back to the dock.

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

She looks like she was interrupted while plotting something and is now plotting against whoever interrupted her.

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

I love the way the water looks as it surges up from the splashing pelican.

The log pelican began to groom. Pelicans look so silly and adorable when they rub their heads against their preen glands.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) rubbing oil on its feathers at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Not all was peaceful in the land of the pelicans, however. From the distant waters came a challenger for the Queen of the Log position.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) flapping its wings at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

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

No way! Fuck off!

Flapping really seems to be a response to aggressive/frightening situations, at least based upon what I’ve seen. Challengers will flap; winners of a challenge will flap; losers of a challenge will often flap. When a noise or something frightens the pelicans and they stiffen up and go into alert mode, some will begin to flap.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) beats its wings at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Sometimes challengers will flap but then settle down after another pelican threatens to jab them. I really thought that the challenger was going to settle down and start preening after her vigorous flap. That wasn’t what happened.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) jumps onto an already occupied log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Oh, she went for it!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) jumps onto an already occupied log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I am amazed at how high pelicans can jump when they need to.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) jumps onto an already occupied log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

At least the power transfer is peaceful.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) jumps onto an already occupied log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

The challenger immediately went into a flapping frenzy, then began to preen.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) grooms itself after jumping onto a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

The loser, too, flapped vigorously.

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

The pelican Schmendrick: “Magic, do as you will!”

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

Now she poses as though she is a figurehead on the prow of a ship.

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

The new Queen of the Log pelican flapped again and roused her feathers, secure in the knowledge that no bird in Part 4 would challenge her position.

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

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

Lady Katherine Feeding and a Squabble Between Geese, September 30

Katie, aka Lady Katherine, is a female mute swan that showed up at White Rock Lake a little over a year ago. K didn’t think that the name “Katie” suited the swan, so I suggested that we call her Lady Katherine. She’s a lonely bird; she spent most of last fall and winter following the geese around. She had a sexual relationship with a goose called Patches, although their union was not fruitful. K was extremely disturbed by their coupling, and even I was a little squicked out by the cross-species thing. Of course, if two birds of mature age consent to unconventional sexual practices, who am I to condemn them?

A mute swan (Cygnus olor) forages for food at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Oh my god, Lady Katherine! Have you been foraging near the nuclear power plant?

Now that fall is here, the ganders are ready to start mating. The hens, however, are not as enthusiastic.

Two geese attempt to mate at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes I wonder whether certain gestures that my goose friend Mister Mary Mack performs in front of me are courting signals. If they are, he has been a gentleman about respecting my boundaries. I am not Lady Katherine; I am only interested in mating with my own species.