The Great Day of Play: October 17, Part 3

Posted on February 18, 2015 by pelicansrulegullsdrool

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!

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.

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.

NOT YOURS, HUMAN.

Can I balance it in my pouch while I swim?

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.

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.

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

Rouse!

Splash!

You show that water who’s boss, pelican!

One bird rushed toward the shore.

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.

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!

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

Posted on February 18, 2015 by pelicansrulegullsdrool

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.

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!

Mine, all mine.

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.

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

Hey, this is pretty fun!

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.

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!

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.

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.

Finally, it is mine, all mine!

Mine to slosh in my pouch . . .

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

The juvenile tossed and retrieved the bottle several times.

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

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.

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.

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

Posted on February 6, 2015 by pelicansrulegullsdrool

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.

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?

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

Sometimes pelicans have the funniest “startled” expressions.

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

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

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.

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

A juvenile was swimming toward the shore.

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.

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.

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.

The adult gaped and snapped back.

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

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.

The Queen of the Log pelican fell asleep.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

When a Pen Loves a Gander . . .

Posted on February 5, 2015 by pelicansrulegullsdrool

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) 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?

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?!

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 4

Posted on December 11, 2014 by pelicansrulegullsdrool

Although it wasn’t a windy day, a pelican out in the water was having difficulty keeping her balance as she scratched her head. I laughed at her as she kept adjusting her wings to stay balanced. American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) scratching at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

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

Breathing is overrated, anyway.

The pelican who had been frightened away from the Log of Status was out stomping through the water. She tried to take off but was unable to do so successfully and floundered before getting back on her feet again.

American white pelican swims at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Fuck this “walking” thing; it takes too damned long. I’m gonna swim!

She eventually made her way closer to shore, stopped, and began to preen.

American white pelican finishes flapping at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

But Mom, I’m only going to be out playing for a little while. Do I really have to wear five sweaters?

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) grooms with her wings held out at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I CAN’T PUT MY WINGS DOWN!

The pelican who had successfully challenged her for the Queen of the Log position had just made a startling discovery.

American white pelican pulls out a feather while grooming at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Did this come out of me?

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

Here she resembles a Willie Stark–like politician soaking up the introductory applause before she begins a good ol’ rabble-rousin’ speech.

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

And now the Queen will do her imitation of her stuffy, out-of-it, non-populist political opponent.

Further out past the Queen of the Log log, pelicans who were lackadaisically hunting found some trash to play with. The younger bird seemed to enjoy swimming with the paper in her pouch, which I’ve seen a lot of birds doing when they are playing with trash out in the water.

Juvenile American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) plays with a crumpled piece of trash at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Who said I would have to eat my words?

Then there were the soda bottle pelicans.

First there was only one, who kept trying over and over and over again to pick up the bottle. Her attempts attracted a nearby pelican to also investigate.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) try to play with a soda bottle at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Come play with us, pelicansrulegullsdrool. Forever, and ever, and ever.

The second pelican managed to get a hold of the bottle by floating it into her pouch.

Luckily for the first pelican, the second pelican’s success was short lived.

Maria, I was here first! C’mon, give me a turn!

The first pelican’s luck abruptly changed, and she was able to take possession of the bottle.

How the hell do humans drink out of this thing?!

OH NO IT DISAPPEARED!

Both pelicans searched for the bottle again, but after several seconds the second pelican got bored and started to swim away. The first pelican was able to retrieve the bottle one last time and even tried to toss it into the air from her pouch, despite its weight.

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

WEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

Another bird tried to play with an old beer can. I think it might have been the same bird who was playing with the paper, but I don’t have any way to verify my belief.

What else was going on?

Three American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) loafing at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Lillian decided that Constance and Taliah’s interpretation of Biff’s final confrontation with his father Willie was too dour and needed a burlesque striptease to liven it up.

Then I saw some action, but surprisingly, it wasn’t on the Queen of the Log log.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) squabble over a favored loafing spot at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

If there is a pelican equivalent for “looking down one’s nose” at someone, the bird who retained her position is totally embodying it.

The first pelican who had been playing with the soda bottle wandered off and had a good flap.

American white pelican flaps her wings at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Constance, Taliah, can I join your theater group? Watch this: “Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.” Am I in, or am I in?

On the 15th I had noticed a new bird with a red wing tag. Based on the color and shape of the tag, I figured that she was from the Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge in Idaho—I had seen a pelican the past year with a tag the same color and shape who turned out to be from there. The problem was that I could only see two characters on the bird’s tag: 5J. There were three characters on the tag of the bird I’d seen the year before. The tag seemed to be tucked under the bird’s wing, and I just couldn’t read if there was another character. I hoped the bird would flap so that maybe the action would let the tag swing freely and I’d be able to read the whole code.

Success!

5J1, an American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) originally from the Minidoka WMR in Idaho, perches on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

She grew up in a Minidoka town, had an egg-layin’ Mama, who hunted all around. But she grew up tall, and she grew up white, with those Minidoka birds on a Minidoka night.

5J1 did indeed originate from Minidoka. She was a second-year bird, hatched in 2013.

She flew down here, at an age before 3. She blew the birds away, was more than they’d seen.

At some point in time the Queen of the Log log had been vacated. Although I hadn’t seen the bird leave, I did see when a new bird arrived.

When I left to go home, I noticed a cute little squirrel hanging around near the dock. She would stand up to reach a plant stalk, drag it to the ground, and nibble on whatever seeds or leaves that she liked.

The next post or two will probably not be about pelicans to give myself and any readers a break, and then I will resume posting about the Migration Madness.

Flapping and Fun: October 16, Part 2

Posted on November 29, 2014 by pelicansrulegullsdrool

The Queen of the Log pelican decided that she was willing to share her log with another worthy bird. Unfortunately, that did not reflect well on the pelican snoozing nearby.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) and American coot (Fulica americana) stand together on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Meet Rebecca and Svetlana, the stars of TV’s newest blockbuster comedy about a very strange couple that just moved into the neighborhood: Pelican and Coot.

Further out in the bay, two geese had just finished taking turns dipping their heads in the water for foreplay and were ready to get down to business.

Geese attempt to mate at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Hey, what are you doing? I’m supposed to be the one biting you!

Wait, now I’m confused. I thought I was supposed to bite you; you’re not supposed to bite me!

OW! Goddammit, forget this. I’m outta here.

Okay, I’m trying to be outta here.

The male was happy to terminate the mating attempt when he realized he could get a free ride around the bay by letting the female drag him.

The Queen of the Log got bored with her position and decided to move on.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) steps off a log to swim at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I abdicate my position in order to be with my one true love . . . FISHIE!

Two pelicans had been swimming together around the bay, occasionally plunging their heads underwater to hunt for fish. They came across a piece of trash and squabbled over who got to play with it.

The pelican who was unable to get to the trash slowly moved on, and her partner abandoned the trash in order to keep up.

Then the pelican who had tried playing with the trash discovered an even better toy.

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

Oooh! Look what I found!

A brief note about play: Justice Stewart’s aphorism about pornography also works when trying to describe what appears to be object-oriented play among the pelicans. Some instances of play are very obvious, but some are not. Repetition is a good indicator that the pelican is playing, but what about when there is only one incident? In this case, the pelican appeared as though she were purposefully engaging with a useless object, and she had done the same thing with the orange piece of trash just a few minutes before finding the stick. I’ve seen some pelicans, when they are in a playful mood, pick up object after object after object to drop and toss around.

I am Donatello of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Pellies! Check out the awesome moves I can do with my bo!

I WILL SAVE YOU, APRIL O’NEIL!

What, Michelangelo? You think you should be the one to rescue April O’Neil? Fuck you! I will fucking beat you with my bo!

Yeah, you’re scared. That’s right. I know you’re scared.

“Oh no, it’s Donatello from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Pellies! I’ve heard she can take out five Foot Soldiers with one swing!”

Hmmm. This is much more difficult to swing than I thought it would be.

So, Shredder. We meet at last.

Take THAT, fucker! Oh yeah! You’re scared; I know it!

She swam over to where the stick had landed. I thought she was going to look for it, but when her companion started swimming toward her, she abandoned what might have been her search and decided to crown herself Queen of the Log.

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

Weeeeeeee!

Perhaps inspired by the Queen of the Log’s play behavior, a different pelican picked up a stick, although she didn’t seem very interested in it. That is not atypical for play behavior: nearby pelicans watching the play can get interested enough that they try to pick up nearby objects and manipulate them. Most of the time, like with this bird, they lose interest quickly. But not always.

I went to the shore to see what was going on over there. Several pelicans were trying to figure out a way onto the prime loafing areas without encountering too much resistance.

Four American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Room for two more? Okay, fine; fuck that other pelican. Room for one more?

Three American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) stand on a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

All right, there, partner: you can stay this time. But next time . . .

I went back to the dock, where a pelican was splashing up a storm as she bathed.

A pelican played with the same bit of trash that a different pelican had found a couple of days earlier.

Another pelican made a mighty leap onto a high-up section of log, got attacked, panicked, and jumped forward off the log into the water. They would have been lovely pictures except I had the exposure set way too dark. Oh well.

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) swims away after jumping off a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

But now that exposure level works okay, doesn’t it, pelicansrulegullsdrool?

A pelican that had been swimming suddenly stopped, stood up, and flapped mightily.

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

After a stirring performance Tamara was awarded first prize in the “air hula-hoop” contest.

Perhaps she was flapping to psych herself up for a confrontation, because after she sank back into the water she steamed toward the Queen of the Log log.

Out past the Queen of the Log log, Dread Pirate Roberts was bathing vigorously.

Sure enough, the swimming pelican reached the Queen of the Log log, paused, and launched herself into the air.

Two American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) fight for access to a log at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

Holy shit! She just drop-kicked that pelican!

The pelican who was kicked managed to stay on the log.

You drop-kicked the mighty Donatello, then you stepped on her foot? YOU SHALL PAY.

When both of the birds were balanced together on the log, I thought they might settle down and share. I underestimated the original pelican’s dedication to keep the log to herself.

WATCH THIS, APRIL O’NEIL!

I may no longer have my bo, but I am a mighty warrior with the BEAK!

Watching them fight was like watching an arm wrestler slowly but steadily force an opponent’s arm down.

I’m losing? This isn’t right!

The pelican who lost looks like a cranky infant who was just put down into her crib when she still wants to be out playing.

The pelican who lost suddenly decided that she was going to fly somewhere far, far away. Then the pelicans of White Rock Lake would be sorry.

Part 3 will include more flapping, another fight, and much more Dread Pirate Roberts action.

Good News and Bad News

Posted on November 26, 2014 by pelicansrulegullsdrool

The good news is that today, the 25th, about thirty new pelicans landed at the lake, and a few of them began to play in the late afternoon. At one point four separate birds were exhibiting play behavior, which made me frazzled when I kept having to watch each one of them and decide who to photograph. An embarrassment of riches!

The bad news is, that’s even MORE pics that I will eventually have to go through, and I haven’t even started posting pics from the play sessions last month. I am not at all disciplined in my picture-taking, and almost every day I go out my backlog of pics grows by at least several hundred. In the next couple of days I will start posting pics from the mid-October migration madness.

The pelicans found, among many other objects, a child’s ball and an old, sodden tennis ball and had a grand time playing with them.

Another bit of good news: a bird that is rare for this area made an appearance! I was out on the dock at Sunset Bay late in the afternoon when Ben, another Dallas-based photographer and blogger whom I’ve mentioned before, showed up. He was watching ducks fly in as we were talking, and he noticed a white-faced ibis flying near them. He was able to track where she landed and take pics. I also got some pics of her grooming. The ibis was there for maybe ten minutes before she took off, circled a small area of the bay a few times—Ben thought she was looking for a better place to settle down for the night—and eventually landed behind a line of tall grasses.

I’m not sure what she was doing so far north at this time of year, but I was very, very glad to see her!

American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) tosses a ball in its beak in play at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

I’m glad I found this ball!

The Beginnings of Pelican Mayhem: October 14

Posted on November 10, 2014 by pelicansrulegullsdrool

The title isn’t entirely true; the mayhem started the day before, on October 13, when pelicans began to fight each other for access to colonize the nearby loafing areas. It was windy outside and the water was choppy, which made the pelicans’ abilities to encroach upon and defend new areas more difficult than usual.

On the fourteenth, the pelicans were still quite feisty. A large group kept circling the bay, hunting. Small groups splintered off to hunt on their own and later rejoined the main group. Other birds bathed and loafed, and birds who finished bathing or who wanted a break from hunting tried to steal log space away from loafing pelicans.

Because there are so many pictures in this post, there will be a cut near the beginning of the narrative.

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

Such a peaceful beginning.

Some of the swimming birds found trash to bounce around in their pouches in play.

Two American white peliacns (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), one of which is catching a tossed piece of trash in its beak while swimming at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX

A few days later a different pelican would find the same bit of trash and toss it around as well.

The Queen of the Log log was an important location in the day’s events (and in general in the lives of the pelicans at White Rock Lake). It is a small log that is maybe fifty feet away from the edge of the dock. Two pelicans can share it if they both cooperate. IF.

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

Oh, please. Do you really think I’m budging for the likes of you?

The juvenile was easily intimidated and moseyed away, but an adult thought she would try her luck.

Continue reading →

Quick Update on Pelicans

Posted on October 22, 2014 by pelicansrulegullsdrool

This past week was absolutely fantastic for pelican watching. Lots of interactions, some very good play activity, fights, baths, and flights. On Saturday I was out on the dock at Sunset Bay for about three hours. Most of that time K was with me, and together we saw about sixty pelicans drop out of the sky and land in the water in front of us throughout the afternoon.

I have a ton of pics to go through, and I want to make some non-pelican posts first, but hopefully I won’t take too long to get to the good pelican stuff.

Juvenile pelican (american white pelican; Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) tosses a plastic bottle from her gular pouch in play

Yes, pelicansrulegullsdrool, hurry up and get to me!

The Pelican Can

If it fits in my pouch, I can eat it!

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