White Pelicans 02-22-21

In the winter American White Pelicans vacation at Anaheim Lakes and the Starbuck's/Pollo Loco parking lot backs up on the lake.  There were two "rafts" of pelicans out today, but too far away to take a close up picture.  

They were all together when I took this image of about 25 spread out fifty feet off shore, but then divided up with ten or twelve birds going north and south.  There were only a few fishing people who didn't seem to be catching anything.  Nor were the pelicans. 

 

In the background are the Anaheim Hills where wild fires threaten homes in recent years.  The 91Fwy goes along the bottom of the hills.  This lake is private, requiring a fee to enter the area.  I've never been inside the tall chain link fences.  Sometimes the shore is almost elbow to elbow fishing people, it was a gorgeous day with a temp of 84F, but few people fishing. 

I couldn't get a close up, so I lifted this image from Google.  They are very large birds, larger than the brown pelicans we see along the coast, and they frequent fresh water rather than the salt water the brown guys like. Their wingspan is second only to the California Condor and runs between 95" and 120".  Average weight is about 20 pounds.  One interesting habit is that white pelicans will band together and form a large circle on the water.  They then all swim toward the center, in effect they herd the fish into a tighter space to make feeding on them easier.  I have only seen them do this once, but it is a common trait.   

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