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March 2011

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Subject:
From:
Bob Powell <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Bob Powell <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:21:00 -0400
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Yesterday at 5:30 pm, the three American White Pelicans (AWPE) were still on
their favorite perch at the east end of the Cowan Lake, easily visible from
the boat ramp at the east end of the south side.  Alan Claybon was also
there.  Alan has a good picture of the pelicans on the OOS Forum site, along
with two stunning pictures of a Bald Eagle taking a Ruddy Duck at Cowan
earlier in the week.   Rick Asamoto has some excellent pictures of the
pelicans foraging, but I do not know if they are available on a public site.

Larry Gara, the corporate memory of Cowan and Caesar Creek, can recall a
previous record at Cowan in 1986. It seems to me that AWPE is pretty much an
annual visitor to Buck Creek State Park.  Perhaps Doug Overacker or Brian
Menker can give a more learned opinion.

At least one of the Cowan pelicans has a comb-like projection on the ridge
of the upper mandible.  According to Peter Pyle ("Identfication Guide to
North American Birds," vol 2), this is called a "keratinous appendage" and
is not acquired until the fourth year.  This is interesting because in the
opinion of many leading ornithologists, the principal cause of errant birds
is inexperience.  Vagrancy is much more prevalent in birds that are making
the trip for the first time.  However, the presence of the keratinous
appendage indicates that at least one of the Cowan birds should have known
better.

Cheers,

Bob

--
Robert D Powell
Congress Farm Research Institute
Wilmington, OH, USA
[log in to unmask]
http://rdp1710.wordpress.com

Nulla dies sine aves

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