-- Fred Helleiner
186 Bayshore Road,R.R. #4, Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0 VOICE: (613) 475 5309 If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.
At mid-afternoon yesterday (Sunday), Ian Shanahan saw the American White
Pelican fly over the middle of the Park (junction of Paxton Drive and
Atkins Lane), headed in the general direction of Gull and High Bluff
Islands. As mentioned by Frank Pinilla in his posting, it was
apparently roosting on High Bluff Island in the evening. This morning
at 0945h. Charlie Le Ber and I arrived at Owen Point just in time to see
it flying from the islands towards us. Instead of landing, it veered
upwards and continued in an easterly direction over land towards
Presqu'ile Bay. During the next hour, we were unable to find it in
Presqu'ile Bay. I suspect that the best chance of seeing this bird
would be early in the morning or during the evening. Lookout 2 or
lookout 3 on the Owen Point trail provide fairly good vantage points
from which to scrutinize the north shores of Gull and High Bluff Islands.
On two of the four previous occasions (all in August) when the species
was at Presqu'ile, the bird(s) remained in the area for several days.
It therefore seems not unlikely that that pattern will repeat itself
this year. It would be appreciated if further sightings were reported
to Ontbirds and/or to me.
