PELICANS BY THE THOUSANDS

What a treat today when we drive through Bandon on the way home!! My friend had told
me about thousands of the big birds but nothing could have prepared me for the sight that
seeing the Coquille River filled with birds from Old Town down to the bar on the ocean!
There were pelicans on the rocks, in the air, in the water, taking off, landing, on pilings.
There were a large number just floating around the water and the flapping of their wings
caused a constant and continued sound of splashing water. In all these thousands of
large pelicans, there was one wee-tiny-little wood duck who, I think, had illusions of grandeur.
Or a death-wish if one of the pelicans didn't take to him trying to join the rest of the gang.
Norm finally convinced me I had enough photos for the day (NEVER! do I have enough!) and
we left by way of Beach Loop, past Lord Bennett's. All the large rocks (or small islands) off-shore
were filled with the silhouttes of hundreds more pelicans. This was such an enormous treat for
me to see......I can't recall ever seeing anything so breath-taking. As you might be able to
tell, I still get pretty excited about it all. I wish everyone outside our area could share in seeing
it also. I hope they stick around for the rest of the winter.....and maybe if the food chain is
moving further north as reported, then the birds are simply following the chow-line (Navy-talk).
I think soon, I'll go back up wearing 'muck-about' shoes and bring my tri-pod and get in closer.
So...all you readers of my blog, prepare to be hearing about the pelicans bombarding Bandon
for the next few days.