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Old 12-10-2007, 02:50 PM   #1
Ozz
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: K.C.
Posts: 11,731
M.O.C. #5980
Just pure fun.

A wonderful bird is the Pelican.
His beak can hold more than his belly can.
He can hold in his beak
Enough food for a week!
But I'll be darned if I know how the hellican?

We have all seen ‘Fido’ throwing the ball in the air, allowing it to drop and roll, then repeat the game. If a cat person, there will be no end to the play we see.
I have never thought in terms of wild birds playing, our Pelican friends here on the Island are hard at work in the morning, skimming the waters, diving into the surf to stun the fish, then, as they are downing breakfast, a few flaps of wings, and they are off to repeat the procedure.
After walking out of the hotel in disgust, mid way through the Chief’s and Bronco’s game Sunday, my eye was caught by 4 Pelicans soaring above the Radisson Hotel. The birds were riding the updraft from the nearby ocean. I observed them for perhaps 8 or 10 minutes, the wind currents were perfect, only an occasional flap of wings would bring one of them back into formation. I could sense the fun they were having, a free ride, no energy expended, no predators to be wary of, just pure fun. I smiled and was happy for their joy.

*Pelican legs are short, their necks long, and their feet have all four toes webbed to aid in swimming. Pelicans are huge birds, with some birds almost 6 ft. in length. Wing spans range from 6 ft. across to up to 11 ft.
Brown Pelicans and the Peruvian Pelicans dive for their meals. Soaring above the water, a pelican will spy their meal. Just as an airplane may stall in flight, so does the pelican as it banks steeply out of a climbing turn, then plunges towards the water. During the fast descent to the water, from as high as 60 feet, the pelican folds back his wings and may actually flip over just before entering the water. The special air sacks under his skin on the front of his body protect the pelican from the impact of his dozens of dives a day. But the tremendous impact (how would YOU like a huge bird dive out of the air onto you??) stuns the unsuspecting fish. The pelican uses his familiar pouch on the bottom bill, as a fisherman uses a net, to scoop in the fish. This lower bill, when not scooping or holding fish, is long and narrow with a hook on the end. However when fishing, the pelican's bill stretches out to scoop up his prey. He'll tip his bill forward to drain off the water, gulp down his meal and then take off from the water, airborne once again.
All of the other six species of pelicans skim fish from the water as they swim along. *From About.com
 
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Old 12-10-2007, 03:57 PM   #2
ggranch
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Kingsville
Posts: 473
M.O.C. #6588
Very interesting Ozz. I have seen the Pelicans down at Truman lake but have never observed them fishing. There is a small resident flock and in the fall, there is a large gathering. This fall we saw rafts of several hendereds of them near the Berry Bend CG. Very majestic in flight. They use a "V" or echelon formation. Bob
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