MOSS POINT—The Gulf Coast version of a “white Christmas” is beginning to show with the arrive of the American White Pelican seeking winter refuge from the frigid north.
As the temperatures continue to drop, more and more of these migratory birds are appearing along the coast, mostly on shallow, protected bays and estuaries. The American white pelicans are migratory and breed in the northern plains but winters in warmer climates.
Approximately 180,000 American white pelicans, which is 40% of the population, migrate to Canada during the spring for breeding season and then nest from the coast of British Columbia east to Lake of the Woods and Lake Nipigon in Ontario.
During the winter, the white pelicans migrate to the Pacific or Gulf Coasts and as far south as Coastal Rica. During the winter months, flocks of hundreds of pelicans can be seen in the shallow marshes and are a favorite of nature and amateur photographers.
Shelley Farabee lives on McInnis Bayou in Moss Point and begins sharing photos on social media as soon as the first pelican is sighted. While she sees herons, egrets, ibis and other wildlife on the bayou, there is something special about the white pelicans, kind of like the first winter snow.
“It’s so exciting to see the pelicans arrive,” Ms. Farabee said. “I saw someone else post a sighting and couldn’t wait to be off today to see if they made their way here.”
She said they were hanging out with a group of juvenile brown pelicans when she saw them.
“It is the most magical and majestic experience to see them arrive,” she added. “As soon as December hits and the air is cold, you know they are coming!
This first sighting was of only a handful of pelicans, so she is looking forward to when the huge flocks arrive. Tonda Dickerson Nava is a nature photographer who enjoys following pelican sightings on social media to get the best shots. She said the best place she has ever seen for photography is in the Moss Point coastal marshes.
There are several places around Moss Point and Pascagoula to best view these majestic migrants. A ride on River Road in Pascagoula and Moss Point generally provide beautiful sights of the white pelicans in Krebs Lake along with views of the American bald eagle, the belted kingfisher, osprey, egrets, ibis and herons.
White clumps are also visible from the high-rise bridge on Highway 613 that crosses the Escatawpa River and leads into downtown Moss Point and along the Highway 90 causeway between Pascagoula and Gautier.
