Yup the Canadians have been in my area for about a month. Still waiting for the biggest part of the migration through. We usually get close to 100 on my lake by January.
Haven't seen them yet, but won't be much longer before I do. In the meantime, my house apparently sits at a crossroad intersection of Geese migration. Been seeing them for the last 6 weeks heading south and northwest over my house. V formations of anywhere between 8 and 20 geese. Flying low and slow. And making their usual racket (which I like to hear). Jesus though, they are huge birds! :-)
No but I saw something that looked like a giant ferret or a weasel or some other kind of long tubular shaped mammal in my backyard around 10pm last night. It was eating bird seed that had dropped on the ground underneath my bird feeder. I went to grab my phone to take a photo/video and when I got back it was gone. Iâm in south FL. Do we even have wild nocturnal weasel type creatures here?
About 30 years ago I lived and worked in Sanford. I remember thousands of them on Lake Monroe. Curiously, I will be in that area again today and will take a look, but the Sanford numbers have dropped off hugely since I lived there.
They migrate down the Mississippi from Canada every year and many winter here in Florida, some migrate down thevWest coast. They are beautiful and can have a 12' wingspan.
I used to see White Pelicans in winter when I lived in Cedar Key. While they are primarily freshwater birds, they do spend some time in saltwater and the area I saw them is the estuary of the Suwannee River so probably just "brackish."
They used to like to hang out on one of the mud bars that was revealed at low tide.
They look magnificent and are a nice change from our usual Brown Pelicans.
Edit: Just spoke to my son who lives in Lakeland and he said he has seen White Pelicans in that area. Not surprising, I guess with all the lakes there!
I was an adult, before I even saw a white pelican. Iâm from south Florida, and I was in Wyoming, we drove by a large lake with a large population of white pelicans. I was saying pelicans are brown, these are white!
Another lesson learned in the âcowboy stateâ.
Side note: what is that monstrosity ruining the view of the promenade??? I haven't been back to my hometown in years but that building was NOT there last time.
So interesting that I forgot it hasnât always been there! I walk at Lake Mirror daily, so Iâve gotten used to the new Lakeland skylineâŚI had to dig deep in my memory to recall that this used to be just a gravel parking lot!
That is definitely a photo taken in Lakeland. I recognize the Frances Langford Promenade on Lake Mirror. I remember when Blinky the one-eyed alligator used to live there.
Just adding that I didn't know they lived in freshwater areas. It's been decades but the only time I ever saw white pelicans was on a sandbar in the intracoastal waterway off the west coast. Do they nest inland, I wonder?
Theyâre all around Holmes beach/Cortez area. Theyâre beautiful, but also total assholes to the brown pelicans. They canât dive, so at a disadvantage and according to the locals in Cortez they def kill brown ones to steal the food from them lol.
Bit of a misnomer to call them freshwater pelicans, though they do hang around freshwater unlike brown pelicans, you see them in saltwater environments too. I remember seeing huge flocks of these in Florida Bay off of Flamingo, and I've seen them on Sanibel too. Really cool birds.
I saw this brown peli here in Lakeland at the same lake earlier this week! We get a fella whoâs lost and inland from time to time. I hope he got back home!
OMG you can't just ask why pelicans are white
I love your username đ we sure did! đ
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Yup the Canadians have been in my area for about a month. Still waiting for the biggest part of the migration through. We usually get close to 100 on my lake by January.
Itâs normal in the winter.
This is not new, lol.
I did yesterday!
Used to see them in the winter in the Mosquito Lagoon.
Haven't seen them yet, but won't be much longer before I do. In the meantime, my house apparently sits at a crossroad intersection of Geese migration. Been seeing them for the last 6 weeks heading south and northwest over my house. V formations of anywhere between 8 and 20 geese. Flying low and slow. And making their usual racket (which I like to hear). Jesus though, they are huge birds! :-)
No but I saw something that looked like a giant ferret or a weasel or some other kind of long tubular shaped mammal in my backyard around 10pm last night. It was eating bird seed that had dropped on the ground underneath my bird feeder. I went to grab my phone to take a photo/video and when I got back it was gone. Iâm in south FL. Do we even have wild nocturnal weasel type creatures here?
Maybe an otter?
I suppose thatâs a possibility. Do they eat birdseed? Are they nocturnal?
Pretty sure they will eat anything. Iâve seen some out at night.
We have weasels!! Not giant otter sized weasels. But if you can confirm its a weasel tell FWRI, theyre still learning about our fl weasels!
Otter or nutria for larger beast in your yard is more likely
About 30 years ago I lived and worked in Sanford. I remember thousands of them on Lake Monroe. Curiously, I will be in that area again today and will take a look, but the Sanford numbers have dropped off hugely since I lived there.
I was just thinking about these yesterday. Iâve been seeing some of these around my area about this time for the past few years.
They migrate down the Mississippi from Canada every year and many winter here in Florida, some migrate down thevWest coast. They are beautiful and can have a 12' wingspan.
I used to see White Pelicans in winter when I lived in Cedar Key. While they are primarily freshwater birds, they do spend some time in saltwater and the area I saw them is the estuary of the Suwannee River so probably just "brackish."
They used to like to hang out on one of the mud bars that was revealed at low tide.
They look magnificent and are a nice change from our usual Brown Pelicans.
Edit: Just spoke to my son who lives in Lakeland and he said he has seen White Pelicans in that area. Not surprising, I guess with all the lakes there!
I was an adult, before I even saw a white pelican. Iâm from south Florida, and I was in Wyoming, we drove by a large lake with a large population of white pelicans. I was saying pelicans are brown, these are white! Another lesson learned in the âcowboy stateâ.
Normal sightings in much of Florida. Not an anomaly.
Side note: what is that monstrosity ruining the view of the promenade??? I haven't been back to my hometown in years but that building was NOT there last time.
Yep, it is the newest building downtown. Summit Insurance building. It was built in 2022.
So interesting that I forgot it hasnât always been there! I walk at Lake Mirror daily, so Iâve gotten used to the new Lakeland skylineâŚI had to dig deep in my memory to recall that this used to be just a gravel parking lot!
Ugh, I hate it. But I also like to believe it's exactly the same as when I was a kid in the 90s if I go visit.
Iâm an Auburndale native, and I can promise you that nothing in Polk County is the same as it was in the 90âsâŚexcept maybe Bartow.
I thought they were just juvenile
Nope, they're just a different, quite large, variety.
Beautiful
I have seen some of the geese flying formation over Bradenton Fl
How many people are seeing this in /Florida because the mod of /Lakeland banned them permanently?
That is definitely a photo taken in Lakeland. I recognize the Frances Langford Promenade on Lake Mirror. I remember when Blinky the one-eyed alligator used to live there.
Yes, I shared it from my post in r/lakeland and lkld is in my username. This if definitely Lake MirrorâŚgood ID!
They'll be down here until early spring then head back to Canada
âFreshwater Pelicanâ lol
They spend most of the year inland in America and not near salt water.
âAmerican White Pelicans typically breed on islands in shallow wetlands in the interior of the continent.â
Just adding that I didn't know they lived in freshwater areas. It's been decades but the only time I ever saw white pelicans was on a sandbar in the intracoastal waterway off the west coast. Do they nest inland, I wonder?
Theyâre all around Holmes beach/Cortez area. Theyâre beautiful, but also total assholes to the brown pelicans. They canât dive, so at a disadvantage and according to the locals in Cortez they def kill brown ones to steal the food from them lol.
Manny, look at the pelican fly. Come on, pelican!
Bit of a misnomer to call them freshwater pelicans, though they do hang around freshwater unlike brown pelicans, you see them in saltwater environments too. I remember seeing huge flocks of these in Florida Bay off of Flamingo, and I've seen them on Sanibel too. Really cool birds.
https://preview.redd.it/eibqyougx78g1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f7613fffbd00d08d9f799eec3dcbf90f262e324
I saw this brown peli here in Lakeland at the same lake earlier this week! We get a fella whoâs lost and inland from time to time. I hope he got back home!
I hate pelicans. They'll literally eat anything.