I returned to Nygren Wetland Preserve last Sunday in hopes of seeing the same 15 American White Pelicans that I saw on Saturday. I was in for a very big surprise. There were actually a few hundred pelicans present, broken into small groups of 50 or so throughout the preserve.

I spent the afternoon at Nygren wandering around and photographing this amazing sight. Several times while I was there, additional flocks of 30 to 50 birds would arrive, land, and settle in with the others.

It was a heavily overcast day. Most of my time was spent sitting with my camera mounted to a tripod. As long as I maintained a low profile, these big white beauties didn’t seem to mind my presence and would swim right past me.  Occasionally, when flocks were flying within the wetlands, I would remove my Nikon from the tripod and shoot handheld.

Sitting along the banks of one of the small lakes, a group of pelicans swam toward me. When they got near the bank, they all turned in the same general direction and began swimming with heads plunging into the water. I suspected and later confirmed online, that pelicans work cooperatively to herd fish. So, not only did I get a good photo, but I also learned something new about pelicans.

One thing I found absolutely fascinating about the American White Pelican is the growth on the top of its bill. Each one of these is unique to a bird. I equated it to something similar to a fingerprint. Turns out the growth is actually a nuptial tubercle, which is a fibrous plate that will fall off when mating season is over. Hey…that’s two new things I learned.

I hated leaving Nygren Sunday. I knew all too well that I probably wouldn’t see these large flocks for at least six months when they make their southern migration. And it would be at least a year before I would see them again with all their bright orange and yellow mating colors. Maybe next year, I can make plans to spend more time out there with them.

These photos were made using the Nikon D7000 with Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6, both tripod mounted and handheld.