At 7:45 a.m. this morning (August 20) I was standing at the end of the east-side pier at Wheatley Harbour, where a BROWN PELICAN flew in and landed on the offshore rock breakwall. I then blurted out some words that can not be repeated here! For the next hour or so the bird preened, and then went to sleep. I took lots of photos.
At about 9:00 a.m., I went back to the parking lot where both Jeremy Bensette and Ken Burrell had just arrived (they had been alerted earlier), and I walked back out onto the pier to show them the bird. But remarkably, the bird was GONE and despite considerable searching, we could not re-find it. However, just now at 10:35 a.m., Jeremy phoned to say that the bird was now back on the rock pile! The bird appears to be a two-year-old immature, and there is no doubt that it is the same bird that has been summering at Cleveland, Ohio. After a week's absence the bird returned there on August 16, but I have not seen any reports for there since. Also, the same Brown Pelican made an appearance at Leamington Marina on July 7, when seen and reported in detail by Bill Kerr (via Allen Woodliffe). I suspect the bird will remain at Wheatley Harbour for a while. No LLBs! Alan Wormington, Leamington _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
