On a visit to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area yesterday morning, I encountered about 40 American white pelicans, crowding a shallow, stagnant pool. Their stay would surely be brief since, except for an ample supply of dead carp on the mudflats, fish are currently unavailable at the desiccated refuge.
Of course, these travelers will not panic. Most will summer on the relatively dry landscapes of the Northern Plains and Great Basin, where they often travel many miles to find reliable fishing grounds. Nevertheless, it was sad to observe their predicament; usually seen gliding across lakes or bays, they could barely get their feet wet.
Let's hope the refuge is in better shape when they visit next autumn. If not, we birders may just have to settle for observing their spectacular aerial formations as they soar toward the sun.
