Plus some very good news about Utah’s nesting pelicans.
On a visit to Bear River MBR last month I took multiple photos of this group of American White Pelicans because they were close, in good light and I liked the setting reasonably well. Then I barely looked at the photos when I got home, until yesterday when I noticed something interesting. And to me at least, entertaining.
How many pelicans can you find in this full frame (uncropped) photo?
As I was scrolling through a short burst of photos I took of these birds, at first I saw three pelicans.
And then suddenly there were four of them. This is the very next photo in the burst, after the previous one. Where did the fourth pelican, at the far left, come from?
In the first photo above, that fourth pelican was fishing with its head and neck completely underwater. It’s wings and body appear to belong to pelican #3 because they were lined up so perfectly with that bird. But in the second photo, pelican #4 had fallen behind far enough for me to distinguish it from the pelican behind and in front of it.
Yes, I’ll admit that I’m easily entertained.
And speaking of pelicans, readers will likely remember the calamity that struck Utah’s nesting pelicans last year. But I’ll review anyway.
Overview map of Great Salt Lake and surrounding area. The map depicts Great Salt Lake at the historical average elevation of about 4200 feet (1280 m) and the new historical low of 4188 feet (1277 m). Red box shows location of Gunnison and Cub Islands. Utah.gov map.
For generations the bulk of Utah’s pelicans nested on Gunnison Island in Great Salt Lake because that island is remote and isolated from predators and protected from people. Pelicans, as ground-nesters, are extremely vulnerable to both so as many as 20,000 pelicans nested on the island for years. But as Great Salt Lake began to dry up, land bridges formed that allowed predators like coyotes access to the island. As a result, last year we were devastated to learn that not a single pair of pelicans nested on Gunnison Island.
This year, Great Salt Lake is beginning to recover so a few of our pelicans are nesting on Gunnison Island again. But there’s better news. Pelicans haven’t nested on Hat Island since 1943 but recently state wildlife biologists found 1300 pelicans nesting there.
So now they’re nesting on both islands again. If we can just get the lake healthy, and keep it there, maybe our pelicans will have a chance over the long haul
Ron
Note: Here’s a link to a recent KSL News article about the return of nesting pelicans to Hat and Gunnison islands.
Where does the seagull state bird nest on the Great Salt Lake. They should receive some measure of protection from misuse.
Steven, the California Gull, Utah’s state bird, isn’t so fussy about nesting sites. They nest in colonies on a variety of islands on Great Salt Lake, including but not limited to Gunnison Island and (I believe), Hat Island. Their nesting colonies are also found at Bear River MBR, Farmington Bay WMA and Ogden Bay WMA.
Now let’s lower the berm and give the north arm more water. I am afraid our government is going to let it dry up. I know the ecology of the south arm was saved by keeping all the water to the south but as the south recovers let’s open the berm.
“I am afraid our government is going to let it dry up.”
I definitely think that’s their plan, April. This state drives me nuts.
Finally, some good news about the GSL! Hope that trend continues! I’ll admit that I looked for a 4th pelican at first (because I know how tricky you are 😉), but didn’t see one, although the dude on the left looked like he had his wings slightly raised. Now, after looking at the 2nd shot and going back to the first, I can’t unsee 4 pelicans. You sly devil, you! 😈
You’ve got the “devil” part right, Marty. Sometimes I fall short in the sly department.
Hope you had a wonderful birthday yesterday.
WONDERFUL news about the pelicans.
Re the photo – your post title made me look closely so I did see four pelicans in the first photo – but wouldn’t have without that hint.
I figured that might give it away for some viewers, EC.
Great news Ron! Do you know if Hat island is now an island again right now due to the rising GSL level?
Art, from what I’ve heard it’s right on the cusp of being an island again. Don’t know how accurate that is though.
Wow, what a kick! Fun shot, Ron. And it is so rare nowadays to find “good news“ and any kind of bird in the same sentence. Good news, indeed! Thanks.
Please make that wow, not wowb. 🥹
Done.
Thank you, Ellen. I was really pessimistic about the future of our pelicans but we have good numbers of them this year and they’re nesting, so I’m heartened.
That is indeed good news Ron. Every year we get a group of about 200 probably coming up from the gulf heading to Gunnison and/or Idaho. I remember you saying that they were no longer coming to Gunnison, so glad they have found another location there. They stop here at our Willow Lake just for an overnight and then maybe about 1030 or 11 am they all take off at once to leave and it is a fabulous sight to see.
My friend Steve and I have both reported tagged pelicans here to both Gunnison and Idaho and have received thank yous and even a certificate from the two locations and from Idaho even a personal thank you from the woman who originally tagged one of those we reported.
Thanks for including the map. I have never taken the time to see exactly where Gunnison was in the lake.
Thanks, Everett. The map was an afterthought but I’m glad I included it (only minutes before I published the post).
TOO funny! 🙂 I thought the trailing pleican looked a bit strange in the 1st photo! SO glad they are returning to nest and moving to another island as needed. I too, hope the lake can be kept high enough to sustain them and other species.
Impressive Northern Lights last night. WAY high in the sky – really could have used a recliner for viewing them. Not brilliantly colored here but a WOW factor none the less!
Thanks, Judy. I didn’t see the northern lights but others did around here. But then I stayed in the city.
Brilliant photos! Is there much agriculture near the places you take your bird photos? Reason I ask is that I see such small populations of birds here in agricultural areas of New Jersey — probably due to pesticides. I see more birds in the suburbs than I do in many rural areas.
Robert, yes there’s lots of ag activities on the west and north sides of the lake and those are the areas I most often frequent.