LEXINGTON — Dave Barr was knocking around Clearfork Reservoir last weekend, as he sometimes does, and he came across something unusual.
So, the local photographer started pointing and shooting.
“At first, I thought it was a Trumpeter Swan,” Barr said. “That would be unusual, so I started taking pictures.
“Then when it swung around and raised its head, I could see its long yellow beak, and I knew it wasn’t a trumpeter swan.”
In fact, Barr had captured the image of an American white pelican. Such a species is rarely seen this far east.
“The next day, I went back down there and he was still there,” Barr said. “By this time the word had spread pretty quickly, and there were a lot of people out there taking pictures.”
Barr theorized the Pelican may have strayed from its usual migratory path.
Such a species is usually seen west of the Mississippi River. It’s routinely seen in Canada, but it can be found along the southern United States coast and all the way to Florida.
The American white pelican typically has an overall length of between 4 and 6 feet, with a beak that can be as long as 15 inches. It’s wingspan can stretch 10 feet, the second-largest in North America to the California condor.
The American white pelican can weigh as much as 30 pounds.
