A parade of pelicans

While driving by the lake earlier this week (on our way to town for Younger Daughter to get her driving learner's permit!), we saw a parade of pelicans.

They're surprisingly common around here.

For all their ungainly appearance, pelicans are extraordinarily graceful birds, particularly when they move synchronously to herd fish.

I feel very fortunate to live in a place where we can see pelicans.

UPDATE: Reader Sue in Oregon submitted this Ogden Nash limerick, which I thought was hilarious:

A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill will hold more than his belican,
He can take in his beak
Enough food for a week
BUT I'M DAMNED IF I SEE HOW THE HELICAN!"

Random pix

A flock of low-flying Canadian geese flew overhead and landed in our neighbor's pasture.

But a few moments later, they took off again. Why?

Because in a burst of high spirits, their horses chased them off.

Tea with a new friend.

Incoming squall.

A flock of pelicans overhead.

The river through the nearby town is still near flood stage. Here it overran the bank of a park.

Still, it's not as high as it was a couple years ago. You can see the high(er) water mark on the tree trunks.

Matilda grooms Polly, whose head is drooping with pleasure.

Walking Lydia on a windy day.

Nice views.

Saw this fellow checking his cell phone outside a grocery store and couldn't resist the urge to sneak a pic.

Pelicans a-plenty

Last week I was driving toward our county seat along a road that skims the southern edge of the lake.  Because of the winding nature of the road - and also because of its beauty - there are quite a number of turn-offs for slower-moving vehicles to pull over to let faster vehicles pass (it should be noted I know where every single one of these turn-offs is) or to admire the view.

Anyway, we passed one such turn-off that had a stopped car and two people staring down at the lake with binoculars.  Something white on the lake nicked the corner of my eye, and though by that time I was already past the turn-off, I told the girls, "I'm turning around.  Looks like something interesting."  I'm so glad I did!

This particular turn-off is several hundred feet above lake level in an area where there are several reed islands.  Clustered on one tiny island were a group of white pelicans.  I'm glad I had the camera with me!  The folks who had stopped ahead of us kindly lent us their binoculars so we could see the birds close up.  What a fascinating sight.  (Click on the photos to enlarge them.)

It's nice to live on the edge of the wild!  (Most of the time.)