fieldguideAmerican White PelicansApril 20, 2010
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Photo taken near

Comments 

user billybarker, Apr 20 2010
Someone else saw 140 pelicans in this lake three days ago. Oddly enough Geobirds called my sighting "extremely rare".
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user jim macgregor, Apr 20 2010
- you're right! Most range maps have these guys as pretty sparse in British Columbia, although populations have increased and they are now often found out of range.
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user billybarker, Apr 21 2010
They migrate through here every year and stay for a while.
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user jbstruthers, Apr 21 2010
I never saw a pelican until 1964. Until then I had assumed they only frequented the sea coast. Their numbers, and those of cormorants, seem to be on the increase here as Jim indicates. Why? Water and fish numbers are decreasing on the prairies.
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user jim macgregor, Apr 21 2010
-one theory might be, that when they do find food- productive water areas, they gather there in increasing numbers until the food supply is insufficient; then they may be forced to travel north from the prairies or out of range to B.C., to find places that meet their food supply needs.
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user jbstruthers, Apr 21 2010
I suspect 140 pelicans could burn up a lot of groceries. We get the odd pelican on Beaumaris but, methinks, our fish are too small.
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user jim macgregor, Apr 21 2010
-wonderful though, that some of us have seen them in and around Edmonton; you, "Rangifer", Tony, "newbirder" and "wimp1946" are the lucky ones!
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user billybarker, Apr 21 2010
The lakes in BC are artificially stocked with rainbow trout. A fairly high percentage of all the fish eggs for the annual restocking of this species are collected here in Quesnel. Isn't there a program like that in Alberta?
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user jim macgregor, Apr 21 2010
-here is a site that explains the philosophy behind Alberta Lake fish stocking; the pot hole type of lakes that are predominant and the winter kill factor appear to restrict the type of restocking that is done: http://www.mywildalberta.com/Fishing/StockingReports.aspx
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user billybarker, Apr 22 2010
Very interesting! The lakes around here have poor drainage with small creeks running in and out, but obviously better than potholes. But the 2009 report for Alberta says that 55,231,401 fish were stocked. I would have thought that should be enough to feed pelicans.
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user billybarker, Apr 22 2010
Fisheries BC released 21,000 fish into Bouchie Lake in 2009. That the lake where I took the picture of the pelicans.
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