Volunteers landed at the Southeast end of the Island to the site of hundreds of American White Pelicans, camped in with the Brown Pelicans. The White Pelicans were staging for their return home to their nesting grounds while the Brown Pelicans had already set up nesting sites and many were sitting on eggs. Warden Chester Smith said that breeding season seems to have started about two weeks early this year.
Breeding activity seemed to be two weeks ahead of schedule. Be sure to view the VOLUNTEER PHOTOS too!
Click on any of the photos for a larger view. For the largest view, use the "slideshow" option.
Great Blue Herons are the largest, best-known and most widespread in North America (Pelican Estates 2, see map).
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
All three of these Great Egrets are displaying the lime green lores. These egrets are famous for their lacy plumes during breeding season (Pelican Estates 2, see map).
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
We don't know if this was a mating dance or a territory dispute between these two dark phase Reddish Egrets (Pelican Estates, see map).
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
The Great Blue Herons have several long black occipital plumes on the back of their head during breeding season (Pelican Estates 2, see map).
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
Great Blue Herons typically have one chick per year, 2 per year in the south (Pelican Estates 2, see map).
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
Great Egrets are monogamous and colonial. Colonial water birds typically breed with other species of herons, egrets and ibis (Pelican Estates 2, see map).
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
Photo credit: Diane Nunley
Diane Nunley has been taken photos of the large birds in the Pelican Estates 2. She is walking towards the platform that has an observation deck on the top. Notice how long and lush the grass is.
Photo credit: Marcy Spears
Photo credit: Marcy Spears
As Diane walks towards the observation platform, a large number of Great Egrets and Reddish Egrets take to the air (Pelican Estates 2, see map).
Photo credit: Marcy Spears
Photo credit: Marcy Spears
This photo of Great Egrets, Reddish Egrets and Black-Crowned Night-Herons was taken from the observation platform (Pelican Estates 2, see map).
Photo credit: Marcy Spears
Photo credit: Marcy Spears
This large nest on top of some small trees was probably made by a Great Blue Heron or a Great Egret (Pelican Estates 2, see map).
Photo credit: Marcy Spears
Photo credit: Marcy Spears
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