Pelicans

[jungleboy]

Just counted 300 Pelicans on lessard lake. This is a small lake covering 3 km2. The fishing is mediocre at best. The pelican will eat up to 4 lb of fish per day. That’s gonna leave a mark on the fish population of this small lake.

[Drewski Canuck]

Lessard is full of stunted perch unless it finally winterkilled. But yes the Pelicans do a number on fish, ducklings, anything else that gets in their way...

Drewski

[MyAlberta]

Are they feeding or roosting.

[-JR-]

They should have an open season them .

[EZM]

If the lake is full of tiny stunted perch the pelicans can be beneficial to the lake as the remaining perch get more food and might grow a bit bigger. I wish a few thousand would land on Wabamun - the perch there seem to be stunted as well. I have not seen a big perch come out of there.

[stob]

Originally Posted by EZM

If the lake is full of tiny stunted perch the pelicans can be beneficial to the lake as the remaining perch get more food and might grow a bit bigger. I wish a few thousand would land on Wabamun - the perch there seem to be stunted as well. I have not seen a big perch come out of there.

X2

[fordtruckin]

How dare those pelicans eat fish! Their sole existence has a negative impact on my recreational activities and I wanna throw a temper tantrum. First world problems much!

[OpenSights]

On Buck Lake there's lots every summer. Tonight they flew in a Vee over us fishing gliding into the wind. About 10 or 12. They are neat in my mind.

[Drewski Canuck]

They roost on my dock and take huge dumps that contain fish bones.

Pelicans are not neat in my mind, or my nostrils.

Drewski

[Au revoir, Gopher]

Originally Posted by OpenSights

On Buck Lake there's lots every summer. Tonight they flew in a Vee over us fishing gliding into the wind. About 10 or 12. They are neat in my mind.

I wonder if that is what I saw this morning. There was a large V flying over Pigeon Lake and I was wondering what birds that would be since the ducks and geese don't fly V patterns this time of year.

ARG

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by OpenSights

On Buck Lake there's lots every summer. Tonight they flew in a Vee over us fishing gliding into the wind. About 10 or 12. They are neat in my mind.

I always like watching them just skim the water, belly's just clearing the chop, usually a couple in formation. I'm sure that someone will point out a practical reason that they do this, but it seems like they are just doing it for fun.

Most birds fly to get somewhere, a few species like Swallows and Pelicans look like they are just having fun.

[thumper]

The exploding carp population will ensure the pelicans are here to stay.

[lannie]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I always like watching them just skim the water, belly's just clearing the chop, usually a couple in formation. I'm sure that someone will point out a practical reason that they do this, but it seems like they are just doing it for fun.

Most birds fly to get somewhere, a few species like Swallows and Pelicans look like they are just having fun.

My guess is they have the most lift while flying closest to the ground/ water so it's the easiest for them to stay flying. It's called ground effect.

[pikergolf]

Pelicans and cormerants, hard on fish.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I always like watching them just skim the water, belly's just clearing the chop, usually a couple in formation. I'm sure that someone will point out a practical reason that they do this, but it seems like they are just doing it for fun.

Most birds fly to get somewhere, a few species like Swallows and Pelicans look like they are just having fun.

They are too heavy for a safe take off to any type of elevation so they dump a load to adjust their C of G prior to gaining air speed and altitude just don’t be that boat below or behind.

If you are ever fortunate enough to be down wind of their roosting area ya might vomit

[Grizzly Adams1]

If you are ever fortunate enough to be down wind of their roosting area ya might vomit

A bunch nesting in the reservoir south of the Harmattan gas plant, never used to when we first moved here. The reservoir had a good population of suckers, severely winter killed last year, must be some fish left.

Grizz

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

They are too heavy for a safe take off to any type of elevation so they dump a load to adjust their C of G prior to gaining air speed and altitude just don’t be that boat below or behind.

If you are ever fortunate enough to be down wind of their roosting area ya might vomit

Yeah, I think most birds are capable of creating an absolute mess if they stay concentrated in an area for any amount of time.

I'll try and find the pictures if I can, but a few years back in northern Saskatchewan we canoed out to an island where there were hundreds of Cormorant and Gull chicks hatching. We could actually watch the Cormorant chicks breaking out of the eggs, the gull chicks had just hatched and were little balls of fluff wandering all over the place. You actually had to be extremely careful not to step on them. The kids thought it was the most amazing thing ever, but the place smelled worse than a garbage dump.

[colin455]

First time I saw a pelican on Slave Lake, I thought it was an albino pterodactyl. Huge wingspan. Had no idea they came this far north. Regular feature on the lake.

[Sooner]

My first real encounter with Pelicans was years back on Pinehurst lake and they always hung out on the rocky point off an island.

As mentioned, troll around that point and soon enough you would smell them too.


I like how they fly as well but boy they must eat a ton of fish in a summer.