Thank you Philip. This chap did indeed show the brownish tones and dark tips that are said to distinguish the juvenile. One wonders about the birthplace, perhaps somewhere in the heart of the continent. I have not heard of any nearby breeding sites recently, although there are old reports in HANZAB of 427 nests on Lake George in 1968 and 1500 at Lake Cowal in 1964, not to mention the more distant 100,000 at Menindee Lakes in 1921.
From: Philip Veerman [
Sent: Thursday, 21 June 2012 10:40 PM
To: 'Geoffrey Dabb';
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Volunteers at work
It is a juvenile Pelican.
-----Original Message-----
From: Geoffrey Dabb [
Sent: Thursday, 21 June 2012 4:27 PM
To: m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
Subject: [canberrabirds] Volunteers at work
Following Robin’s mentioning the local projects undertaken by Conservation Volunteers, it was heart-warming on a chilly morning to see a cheerful band of them, directed by the ranger, installing the long-overdue logs in the icy waters of Kelly Swamp, while a lone pelican, preening and dozing, remained throughout the operation in firm possession of one of the cross-beams recently attached to the old fence-posts, for just such a purpose.
