On Tuesday, September 05, 2006 3:55 PM brian fleming wrote:
I can't answer your queations about Pelican flight paths, but they
certainly nest on Mud Islands. This is a sanctuary, and I believe you
Too far (assuming they don't fly in the dark), and wrong direction.
need a permit to land there - (and of course a boat.) Visits to their
rookery are not encouraged because disturbance can result in serious
losses of eggs and young birds. I went there a few years ago on an
outing organized by the Marine Study Centre at Queenscliff. We saw
large young, from a considerable distance across a lagoon - I think in
March. They were walking about but not flying yet. I doubt if they
nest anywhere else in the Melbourne region, except maybe at Lake
Borrie in the Western Treatment Plant.
That's pretty much exactly in the right direction, and only 20km, so you're
probably right about them coming from there.
Pelicans can fly a very long way if they feel so inclined. I was
told that in East Africa a local species flies about 30 miles every
day from the nest area in a safe but foodless lake, over a mountain
range to another lake which does provide food. I don't know if they
make several flights a day but they could.
If they flew 30 miles in that direction from Werribee they'd end up around
Hurstbridge. Is there anything around there to attract them? If they went
that far again they could get to Lake Eildon. Are there pelicans there?
Could they go 100km? If so, then surely they aren't returning the same day.
Every day I see dozens of pelicans flying either
north-east or south-west over my house, near the Mount Saint Joseph
Wetlands
in Altona, Victoria (Melways ref 54 C10). Generally they are flying
north
east in the mornings and south west in the evenings, but it can
vary. I assume they're flying from where they sleep to where they
feed. Judging from the direction they're flying in, they could be
moving between Cheetham
Wetlands and the lower Maribyrnong, but I'm not in a position to
check if this is right. I can't believe that that many pelicans
would go that far to feed there, but where else could they be going?
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