Pelecanus conspicillatus (Australian Pelican)

IUCN Status: Least Concern.

Normally there is insightful, witty, intelligent content with the photos on my site. So, please indulge me this once (ok, it probably won't be the last time) while I favour you with a story a little less classy (but still eduacational).

We moved to Hervey Bay when I was in grade 7. I did all the remainder of my schooling there. One of the great joys of growing up in "The Bay" is the wonderful whether. As a kid we played outside any and every opportunity, and lunch times at school were no different.

One day while playing sport on the oval, a scream pierced the general cacophony and sent heads spinning. One of my fellow revellers, the source of the cry, had been transformed. His hair and blue school uniform had been transformed to white, as though someone had upturned a bucket of of paint on him. However paint does not reek of digested fish.

They say being hit by bird poo is good luck, but having seen firsthand, luckily from a distance, I can assure you that getting hit by a pelican shower is nothing like good luck. To give an idea of just how shocking/amazing the situation was - I don't believe any of us gave him a hard time. But for grace any one of us could have made that awful sound. At least the victim got to go home for the day - it really was that bad.