Winter white

Every year's seasons have their own gifts and rhythms. I associate winter and white; my mother had winter-white slacks that were more cream than nurse-white and allowed her to wear the shade before Easter. Most folks equate winter's white with snowfall, I'm sure--especially given this year's early blizzards up north. The Outer Banks' winter-white is mostly feathered, not flaked. Northern Gannets dive offshore. Egrets and ibis are seen in greater numbers. For the past several years, a couple dozen American White Pelicans joined their smaller cousins, our brown pelicans, at Pea Island, so they've been added to the list. Last year, a major irruption of Snowy Owls deep into the south brought at least two young birds to Ocracoke for more than a month, with stops for one in Hatteras in late November. So far we have not had any owls, but I am still watchful. Conditions seem promising as they are once again on the move south. What we do have that is unprecedented are huge groups of the white pelicans--as many as 150 have been reported! I've photographed between 40 and 50 in one group while noticing other groups of similar size at greater distance. Brown pelicans feed by high-diving (or in the case of younger birds, low-flopping) into the water and coming up with fish for themselves. The White Pelicans do not dive; they swim in unison, herding fish so all can feed at once. It's an interesting and fun strategy to watch. If you are in the area, they are worth a trip to the North Pond, which is just north of the Visitor Center on Pea Island. The dike there is easily walked. They are the largest American bird most of us will ever get to see. Only the California Condor is larger. The white pelican has a wingspan up to nine feet; Bald Eagles in comparison are six to seven-and-a-half feet and our resident brown pelicans measure six to eight feet.