Bird Island

1990 was the first year we saw pelicans on the Upper Mississippi River. We saw 6 that year. Now there are over 2000 in the general vicinity of Lock and Dam 13. This island is home to cormorants, white egrets and pelicans. The egrets nest in the trees and their droppings kill the vegetation. The cormorants strip any remaining leaves to make their nests. This practice actually opened up the sand for the pelicans to nest. (They only nest in sand) There are well over 500 nesting pairs of pelicans and countless cormorants and white egrets sharing these two islands. The pelicans live here in the summer and raise their young then fly to Central and South America for the winter.

Carrie

(for Captain Kevin)

http://www.riverboattwilight.com/