White Pelicans in The Villages
 

I was at Saddlebrook golf course today and was amazed at the huge number of white pelicans on the edge of their pond. These birds are not usually numerous in The Villages but it must be part of their migratory pattern. There were also very large flocks of ahingas and ducks in the pond. The lone Great Blue Heron I saw looked as though he had wandered into the wrong town.

White pelicans
 

White pelicans were at the pond on Lynnhaven Road for a couple
of weeks in early February.
I havent seen them for a week or so and wondered where they went.

Someone said they thought the white pelicans had come down from
south Alabama because of bad weather there earlier this winter.

These huge, spectacular looking white birds are seen in Florida between December and March. During these months, large flocks of white pelicans can be seen on Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. White pelicans spend the winter in Florida and along the Gulf coast, then fly north to nest in the mid-west and central Canada. In the mating season, male white pelicans develop a fibrous plate on the upper portion of their beak (see above)

White pelicans have a wingspan of 9 feet, and males and females are similar in appearance. In flight they can be confused with wood storks or whooping cranes as all three birds have similar distinctive black wingtips that stand out against the all-white plumage. However pelicans fly with their necks tucked in, unlike cranes and storks. In fall and spring large flocks of white pelicans can often be seen circling high above the central Gulf coast near Fort Myers and further north.

White pelicans are cooperative feeders. They do not plunge dive like the brown pelican, but rather, they use a coordinated feeding strategy and swim in a line or half circle, ‘herding’ fish towards the shore. Two groups of pelicans will sometimes ‘herd’ fish towards each other.

This post is pretty near poetry, Buggy!

We are playing there this afternoon. I am taking my camera. I have to begin painting pictures of villages birds again. We sold the other ones with the house in Hadley.

Pelicans???? You guys didn't have a shaker of bloody marys?

wish you had a camera!
 

It is an amazing site to see, I remember when they were at the Palms course at Hacienda.

A flock of pelicans flew across the Morse bridge on Tuesday, and they did look amazingly like the wood storks we have -- except for the tucked necks. (That's how it dawned on me that they were pelicans) We are blessed with an abundance of wonderful wildlife viewing opportunities here!

This was funny: We went on Captain Mike's Lazy River boat tour, and people on board were running from one side of the boat to the other to take photographs of herons, anhingas, storks, butterbottoms, etc... The river tour was very nice, and most of the folks were thrilled to see the birds and the alligator that we see almost daily in our hometown.

We did play Saddlebrook late yesterday afternoon and were rewarded with spectacular views of those BIG WHITE BIRDS. Also a necklace of turtle mounds and a bunch of all kinds of birds seem to be keeping the pelicans company.

How I would love to have The Lifelong Learning College offer a course on our flora and fauna here in this spectacular place. Have they ever....or is there one being offered currently?

Did anyone note the exuberant flowers planted at Citizens Bank on 466?? So many colors and so beautiful.

Birds, flowers and sassy old people, oh my!

I was there too, but I think those birds were storks. The ones I saw were on the hole with the large pond. I might be wrong and maybe we saw different birds - there were about 12 to 15 birds. Either way, it was a good sighting.
Irish

Gracie, that sounds like an excellent course for the Lifelong Learning College! Sign me up!

I did not notice the flowers, but I'll be sure to look for them tomorrow. Thanks for the heads-up!

Sassy Judy

White Pelican
 

My wife and I were playing Saddlebrook this morning with friends and they were beauitful.
:coolsmiley:

But...are they pelicans or


STORKS????


I mean living here means we are growing younger every day.

oh my!

Spectacular!
 

They all moved to Hawkes Bay and the gathering now includes wood storks, egrets, ibis and various other birds.

Quite an incredible sight, simply beautiful!

Yes, Gracie, there are storks also but the all white birds are White Pelicans. The storks have dark heads (actually it is no feathers and just dark skin). The Pelicans have white feathers all over - except for black wing tips.

Beautiful birds and The Villages is the perfect place to look at them up close.

If you ever get the chance to go to Sanibel Island, go to the Ding Darling refuge and you will see all these birds plus roseate spoonbills, pink flamingos, and lots of others.

The roseate spoonbills played the eighth hole at Truman last year.

Since my golf game is for the birds, playing with the birds makes it worthtwhile.

LMAO!! very cute. :a20: