Northeast - Pelicans off Long Island

*I saw a three pelicans diving for fish off the beach last night and a couple more on the bayside.* I don't remember ever seeing them here before.* I mentioned it to a couple people today and they thought I was crazy.** I lived in Florida for 8 years, I know a pelican when I see one.* Are they rare up here?*

I never saw pelicans up here, where did youu see them?

Right off the beach at Old Inlet, Fire Island.* They were diving into a school of bait and guzzling fish down.* I wish I had my camera with me.* My father in law was with me, he is 70 and lived here his whole life without seeing one:o

I am new to the neighborhhood, where is old inlet?

I had seen 1 a few years ago by the RMB.I had to do a double take :o

Tom, Old Inlet is part of the National Seashore at the far eastern end of Great South Bay.* Smithpoint is to the east and Bellport to the west.* Nice beach, and dock, no houses, power,water etc.*



3207

Proline,

Thanks, had never heard of it before.

Hey Mike, You have a camera for everything else (ie Old Inlet, ice, fish, etc) but none for the pelican??!! Are you sure you weren't smoking something funny when you saw it? LoL Maybe it's a sign that it's going to get real hot soon. I see them all the time (as you know) down here, but I have never seen one on Long Island.
Hey you know, it get's hot down here in FL, and humid too.
Be well.
Capt Tom

Never saw one myself but I have heard of them spotted here once or twice before.

I saw Pelicans out on the east end near the Hamptons in the mid 1990's. I was visiting family and came up from Florida. I pointed them out in amazement and I remember my aunt saying something like it was no big deal. I grew up on Long Island yet never saw them before that. I also saw one in NJ this summer,...weird?

My house is just visible on the top, right most edge in that picture taken from, old inlet. You are looking North north west in that picture from Fire Island (at Old Inlet). The top left of that picture shows Bellport and the top right side is Brookhaven Hamlet. It's called "Old Inlet" because there used to be an inlet there which was STUPIDLY closed up back in the 1930's (I forget the exact date). I wish they would put it back!! ;)

Most of you guys will know the area from red can #6, the last bouy in the GSB you make a hard right turn to go around when heading east to go out to Morriches (about 1 mile from the Smith Point bridge).

Anywho, I think the things you saw Mike are another type of bird which are similar to Pellicans, in the sam family. I see them on "Pellican" island (the small island next to John Boyle Island) all the time. Not sure what they are called but they are here every summer.

Sorry Birdman, these were pelicans.* They were dive bombing fish and swallowing em.* I lived in Florida for 8 years, I used to feed them bait chunks and they would fight to stand on the engine while underway.* I asked around and a couple of my friends have seen them in the last week or so.* I did a little checking on the net and they supposedly can go all the way up to Nova Scotia in the summer.* Rare, but not that rare.*



Tom, sorry but it was a substance free trip:o* I never have the camera when something cool happens and I need proof.*

Yes, I was fly-fishing the cove behind the Sag Harbor golf course this past weekend, and one buzzed the treeline not 100 yards behind me. I also thought I was seeing things, but I got a VERY good look at wings, beak, gullet-pouch thing, and lack of spindly legs, and was 95% sure it was a pelican. It just flew/looked all wrong to be a herron. And now if other people are seeing these guys, I'm 100% sure that's what it was.

Yes they are here. About a dozen of them feeding on the bunker of Atlantic Beach this past weekend. Whenever we have a warm dry summer I usually see a few off the beach. Quite a site to see here in NY its been a few years.

Willyk9 - 7/13/2004 7:49 PM

Quite a site to see here in NY its been a few years.


Another sight I haven't seen in years is the Dolphins at sunrise on the Long Island Sound.