Uncommon encounter (wordy)

Update posted in #6

For the 4th of July this year, I went down to Chinook, WA to spend some time on the beach with a close friend and his family. For several days, the locals had been watching a young American White pelican paddling the shores with a flock of Canada Geese; which was pretty uncommon in and of itself.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/nWTA​vr
Billy the Pelican-3315 by Guideon72, on Flickr

Come Friday morning, I was up with the sun and wandering the beach when I saw the little guy come ashore and wander around in the sun:
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ock2​ej
Billy the Pelican-3327 by Guideon72, on Flickr

So, I began slowly working my way down the beach to try and get closer to the little guy without spooking him off:
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/nWTA​XZ
Billy the Pelican-3332 by Guideon72, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/nWSr​Dd
Billy the Pelican-3358 by Guideon72, on Flickr

Eventually, I (thought I) got close enough to push him back into the water, at which point I sat in the sand and hoped he wasn't too disturbed:
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oeiy​aq
Billy the Pelican-3386 by Guideon72, on Flickr

At which point he swam out a little bit and then came across, parallel to me:
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/nWSs​Mf
Billy the Pelican-3413 by Guideon72, on Flickr

And then, much to my surprise began swimming back in toward the shore (and me):
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/nWSt​mm
Billy the Pelican-3423 by Guideon72, on Flickr

Astonishingly, it didn't just swim in close, but actually walked *directly* up to me and just sort of got comfortable:
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oecw​b9
Billy the Pelican-3451 by Guideon72, on Flickr

From here, the story loses images due to several factors...

I figured this was just bizarre and picked myself up off the sand, expecting the bird to skitter back into the water; but it just sat there looking at me. When I began walking down the beach back to camp, it actually started following me back. I outdistanced it initially and it appeared to give up.

Half an hour, or so, later I was sitting on the beach with my nieces and nephew when it came swimming along the shore once again. Sitting on a piece of driftwood I told everyone to be quiet and that the bird might come on to shore to look at us again.

Once again, the little one came ashore, walked up and *this* time, effectively, sat in my lap. Much to everyone's amazment, shock, etc. The poor thing didn't appear to be looking for food, but seemed to simply want company...as if it had been abandoned or something. After sitting there for a few minutes, we figured maybe it would head back out to the water if we went away for a while; so we packed everyone back up the trail to camp.

Once we got up there, we and the neighbors started trying to call the various rescue organizations, Fish & Game dept, etc. Being the holiday, we weren't having a ton of luck...when I got back to camp, I wandered back down to the beach and was rewarded with the damnedest sight.

The kids were playing up and down the beach and the pelican (who they'd named Billy by now) was following along, everywhere they went. All were being very considerate of the bird and trying to make sure it was ok; to the extent of circling in front of the bird when two dogs came running down the beach.

After several hours spent on phones, talking to additional neighbors and such, word managed to make it around to the local Coast Guard base, who sent someone down to collect the bird (turned out to be the 3rd one they'd rescued in the last couple of days); so, it finally managed to get off the beach and hopefully, back to where the rest of the flock is currently located.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading; it was one hell of an experience for everyone!