American White Pelican

American White Pelicans are rare visitors to western Washington (Wahl et al. 2005). For the second year in a row, a small flock of pelicans were reported on eBird from the estuary formed by McAllister Creek as it enters the Nisqually estuary below the Nisqually national wildlife refuge. Earlier this week we made an unsuccessful attempt to see these birds, but on 9 July 2020, Erika quickly spied the pelicans from Lehr Beach, downriver from the refuge. 

The pelicans formed a line across part of the creek as it enters Puget Sound. We counted eight pelicans and 60 Great Blue Herons, all feeding on fish in the creek. American White Pelicans are known to feed cooperatively, circling prey, and driving small fish and other aquatic animals to the center of the flock, thereby causing the prey to concentrate for easier harvesting. For more on pelican cooperative hunting, see my blog post of 27 April 2011.