In January, a local weatherman mentioned white pelicans had arrived in our area. Today, we just experienced the joy of spotting two white pelicans at our beach. People stopped and watched, and it was fun!
In the winter white pelicans visit Florida, but they can also be found in southern California and along the Gulf Coast states. In the summer adult white pelicans breed in colonies on lakes in western Canada and the northwest U.S.
The white pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish. I actually witnessed one of the pelicans dip his head into the water, lift it up, and swallow a fish. Brown pelicans were diving into the water to get their food, but the white pelican swam and ate.
The white pelicans are huge. I looked it up and they have a nine-foot wingspan! As we left the beach, we ran into a couple debating if it really was a white pelican. The man said they are not supposed to be in the Atlantic Ocean, especially in February. We told him he wasn’t wrong, but somehow, there they were.
It’s interesting how something as simple as white pelicans showing up unexpectedly can bring strangers together.
I hope you have a wonderful week, and I hope you find something amazing to connect you to new people.
Jackie Layton 