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From: hammy@bagheera.ctt.bellcore.com (John G. Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Could I Have Seen a Pelican?
Message-ID: <27500@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Date: 3 Oct 90 18:32:45 GMT
References: <10593@scorn.sco.COM> <1990Oct2.174924@Unify.com> <896@sun13.scri.fsu.edu>
Sender: news@bellcore.bellcore.com
Reply-To: hammy@bagheera.ctt.bellcore.com (John G. Smith)
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Inc.
Lines: 32

I was in Florida recently (Lorien posted about 6 zillion lines of trip
report :-), and among other things, went to the Miami Seaquarium.  I
have several photos from there of a group of Pelicans flying into and
out of some trees near the shark enclosure.  I guess with all the people
walking around they felt that a tre was sfare than the ground, but they
seemed perfectly at home up there.

John.
_____

anyway....

So - how's fall migration?  We were down in Cap May a couple of weeks
ago and saw over a hundred species (ok, the actual count was 101).  The
best by far was a sora out on Cape May meadows, on the left just before
the beach.  On friday evening it was pointed out by people from what
seemed to be some king of organized trip (anyone recognize themselves?).
It (the rail, not the group) just casually strolled out of the reeds
barely ten feet from the path, pecked around for ten minutes or so, and
then strolled back into the reeds.  I went back there on the sunday,
hoping for another look, and to give Lorien a chance to see it, and sure
enough, after a few minutes, it came out of exactly the same location in
the reeds - chasing a marsh wren - and stayed out for quite a while. 
The light was perfect - 11 am, bright sunshine.  When it went back in
the reeds all you could see was the yellow beak floating around in the
gloom.  By far the best sighting of a rail I've ever had.

John (again)
------------

John G. Smith   	email : hammy@ctt.bellcore.com
RRC 1H-213       	phone : (201) 699-4530