Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 21:39:52 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Fred Shaffer Subject: White Pelican at Schoolhouse Pond Thanks to the message from Jim Stasz, I saw the White Pelican at Schoolhouse Pond late in the afternoon. I picked a bad day not to take my morning walk around the pond! I saw the Pelican through both my scope and binoculars. It was towards the rear of the pond, sleeping for ten minutes or so (as it had much of the afternoon). It then stirred and swam very slowly towards the center of the pond. I got great looks at the bird's pinkish-orange bill with the hook on the tip. It dwarfed the nearby geese and even made a nearby Great Blue Heron look small. Unfortunately, after several minutes a large flock of geese to the left noisely flew off and the Pelican flushed. It flew impressively over the pond and past the County office building. It headed towards the east. I waited by the pond for another ten or fifteen minutes as it got dark, but I did not see the Pelican again. Also at the Pond were the usual Canada Geese, gulls, Shovelers, and Wood Ducks. Fred Shaffer Crofton, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================