Image name: WhitePelicans

American White Pelican, White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas

Each autumn White Rock Lake hosts large flocks of White Pelicans, some of whom rest a short time before continuing their migration to the gulf coast, but some remain here for the winter. While migrating they soar in v-shaped formations at great heights. On arrival, they slowly spiral down as they descend in formation, alternately appearing when the black feathers under their wings are visible and then disappearing when the black feathers are not visible. Most of these pelicans spend their summers in the northern Great Plains, although a few tagged pelicans are known to have arrived here from the Great Salt Lake in Utah. White Rock Lake is one of the best places in the country to see these spectacular birds up close. One snowy winter morning I found these two pelicans huddled together at Sunset Bay, enduring weather they thought they had left far behind.