It's been an interesting week for pelican spotting [1]. It all started Monday when on my way to work, I saw flocks of white pelicans circling over Paynes Prairie and coming in for a landing. They've been there ever since. It's of enough interest to the US Fish & Wildlife Service that they have spotters on hand with telemetry equipment mounted atop their trucks. So if you're never seen a white pelican, get to Paynes Prairie along US 441 before they depart! They're snowbirds, down for the season, and perhaps decided this year that the prairie would be their best destination.

Yesterday I visited Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge [2] for the first time since its centennial celebration, and spotted white pelicans there too ... along with black skimmers, brown pelicans diving, cormorants, blue heron, and others. Although I've never considered myself a birder, it's been pointed out to me that I do watch for birds when I hike, so that counts. Hiking certainly lends itself to birding if your interest, like mine, is the journey and not the destination.