Info on Brown Pelican

["Rick Fridell" <rfridell at redrock dot net>]

Hello everyone,
First let me apologize for not getting back on phone messages, and the delay
in returning emails.  I've been out of town off and on for the majority of
the last three weeks (and will be gone again until the 7th).  If you haven't
heard back from me, I am still planning on returning your emails (Colby,
Carol, Elizabeth, David, etc.) when I get a chance.

Here is some belated information on the Southern Utah Brown Pelican:

A Brown Pelican was reported to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources on
April 19th.  It was grounded along I-15 at the north Beaver interchange.  It
was picked up by a Conservation Officer (B. Farnsworth) and delivered to the
UDWR Regional Office in Cedar City.  It was inspected and fed, and since it
had no serious injuries, it was transported and released at Quail Creek
State Park (Washington County) by Officer J. Schijf.  In early May, between
the 6th and 10th, a Brown Pelican was observed at New Castle Reservoir (Iron
Co.) by Aquatic Biologist M. Ottenbacher.  Kevin Wheeler and Charlie Sheard
photographed it on May 12th and posted it to the birdnet. It was
subsequently seen by many individuals and last reported on May 17th.  I'm
not sure if it still present.
There has been some confusion on whether or not there was both an adult and
an immature pelican, however I believe it is the same bird (at Beaver,
Quail, and Newcastle).  I've asked several UDWR employees that saw the
pelican in the office and they say it had a brown head (rather than the
white head of an adult). I have heard that one individual thought it was an
adult, but I have not had a chance to contact him.

I've also received some emails asking whether or not I thought the Pelican
was "countable".  Despite subsequent events, I believe it made it into Utah
on its own power, and therefore I think it is a valid Utah record of a
vagrant Brown Pelican.  Since it stuck around Newcastle Reservoir, and made
it there on its own from Quail, I also think it is countable under ABA
rules.  As I've said before, the way I feel about lists is count whatever
you like.  It's your list, and you keep it for fun, so if it pleases
you...count it.  On the same note, if it pleases you to submit your list to
a competition, or ABA, or Utah Birds, or whatever, adjust your submitted
list to play by their stated rules. Whatever you do, have fun doing it.

Sorry for the long post.

Best Regards,

Rick Fridell
Hurricane, UT



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