On Seeing Pelicans At Inverloch Poem by Francis Duggan

Three pelicans one might say don't make a flock
Still the big birds have returned to Inverloch
They preened by the jetty with people nearby
And they seemed relaxed and of humans not shy.

One old bloke well versed in the ways of the sea
Said that the presence of pelicans a guarantee
That the numbers of fish in plentiful supply
A lesson of Nature and Nature doesn't lie.

He added I'm not an expert on rod and line and fish bait
But for the fish to bite here one don't have long to wait
In a half an hour yesterday I reeled in three
And they taste delicious when fresh from the sea.

When the fishers are gutting their catch of the day
The big greedy pelicans not far away
They devour the entrails and fishes heads much to their delight
To them a small snack to whet their appetite.

On the beach by the jetty they enjoyed their preen
In a place where they are not that often seen
And though three birds could hardly be seen as a flock
The pelicans have returned to Inverloch