On a recent kayaking trip passing the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Bonnie Frogma spotted (what she dubbed) an unusual sight: a white pelican! (Mingling with all those Canada geese who are safe from the gas chambers in the protected area.) She told us, "I'm not an actual birder, [but] I do know what birds are ordinarily seen in the bay."
One actual birder who recently spotted the pelican identified the bird as an American White Pelican, and noted, "I had never seen any pelicans in New York State ever, much less in Queens, my home borough!" He saw the massive bird again over the weekend and got some great shots—he also clarified that though he had never spotted one, pelicans "do show up at least a couple of times a year" in New York State.
