Apologies for not being able to put the word out sooner. An adult American White Pelican landed in Presu'ile Provincial Park yesterday 7/18/09. The bird flew in at 4:10pm and landed on the spit at Owens's Point where it promptly preened and slept. It was last seen still sleeping on the spit at 8:45pm yesterday evening. I alerted two other birders in the area who also saw the bird from beach 3.
I was at the spit again around 7:30 this morning 7/19/09, but there was no sign of the pelican. It's possible it was out of sight somewhere around the island perhaps, but it was not seen as of 10:30am when I left. I managed two poor documentary photos, one taken in panic as it flew over head while I was at beach 3, and another taken from beach 3 of it landed on the spit about 800+ meters away. There were four adult Sanderling between beach 3 and the point on the 18th and three today, plus a flyover Greater Yellowlegs yesterday. There was also an adult Bonaparte's Gull among the regular gulls and terns on Beach 3 yesterday. _______ To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton. Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid that is available at the Park gate. Access to the offshore islands is restricted at this time of year to prevent disturbance to the colonial nesting birds there. Good birding, Gerard Phillips Merrickville. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
