[CINC] pelican question & land sightings

[Carolyn McCleskey]

This is what I found in Sibley and on the internet about migration of immature, non-breeding and post-breeding Brown Pelicans.  Apparently, this migration
 has been well-documented, and flight over land takes advantage of thermals.


Postbreeding migration out of Gulf of California begins in Jun–Jul, earlier if nesting unsuccessful (Anderson and Anderson 1976).
 Most migrants cross Baja peninsula at its narrowest parts, most 
commonly at Bahía de los Angeles (D. Anderson pers. comm.), then move 
northward along Pacific coast as far as s. British Columbia. Birds from 
colonies in S. California Bight also migrate northward at end of their breeding season in Jul–Aug (Anderson and Anderson 1976). Numbers from s. California to s. British Columbia peak in Sep–Oct, then decline as in-dividuals return south to breeding areas by Dec–Jan (Briggs et al. 1981, 1983; Jaques 1994; Shepard 1999a, 1999b). Small proportion of Gulf of California
 population (mostly immatures) migrates inland to Sal-ton Sea, remains 
there through summer and autumn, then presumably returns to Gulf by 
Dec–Jan (Anderson et al. 1977a, Sturm 1998). Some 

--- On Tue, 5/17/11, Deborah Lee Clark <miramarragamuffin at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Deborah Lee Clark <miramarragamuffin at yahoo.com>
Subject: [CINC] pelican question & land sightings
To: "CINC rain list" <channel_islands_naturalist_corps at rain.org>
Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 3:01 PM

Does anyone have thoughts on this question posed to me recently?
"We have lived in Malibu for over 30 years and are seeing  large (80) and small flocks(5-6) of pelicans flying along the cliffs, over land along PCH flying in both directions, not over the ocean as they normally do.  We have never seen this before... would you have an
 explanation for this behavior?"



Gray whale sightings from Summerland to Hammond's were spectacular April 24-May 8 including one cow/calf pair at Hammond's within 20 yards of shore!
Deb Clark
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