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Re: Pelican banding

From:

Mary LaMarca

Reply-To:

Mary LaMarca

Date:

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 22:40:00 -0400

This project sounds absolutely fascinating! Where do pelicans build their
nests? Are they ground nesters on the salt-marsh hummocks, or do they build
in trees? How big were the average size chicks that you banded?

I was bitten by a Brown Pelican that hung around a fishing pier on Sanibel
when I made the mistake of trying to hand it a fish - the extremely sharp
hook at the tip of the beak cut a nice slash in my hand. After that, I
tossed all my "catch and relase" fish underhand to him, and he happily
caught and swallowed them.

I just have to make a comment on one of your musings, Mr. Armistead:

"I have to watch this a little more but I think when the pelicans wheel
overhead as we band in their domain it is always counterclockwise.  I don't
know how this squares with the Coriolis Effect."

Surely you know that you can't square anything with the Coriolis effect, but
must approach it in a oblique, circular fashion....

Mary LaMarca
Silver Spring, MD