Environment : Notes about your surroundings.

They’re Back--In a typical season, only one or two American white pelicans might be spotted in Orange County. But last fall, the birds made a sudden and spectacular appearance, with as many as 200 seen wheeling above the Santa Ana River Lakes in Anaheim.

Now, the American white pelican is back for the winter, although not quite in the concentrations witnessed last season. Flocks of 20 and fewer have been seen at spots around the county, including Irvine and Anaheim.

White pelicans have had problems farther north in the state this season. Scientists recently investigated the deaths of more than 400 birds at Crowley Lake in Mono County; starvation was the apparent primary cause of death in half of all birds examined, but parasitic intestinal infestations contributed to their mortality as well.

According to Doug Willick, who catalogs rare bird sightings in the county, no similar problems have been reported locally. Numbers of white pelicans in the county are much smaller than at Crowley and other locations.

Geese Gone--The fall arrival of Canada geese at Quail Hill in Irvine, near the Sand Canyon Road exit of the San Diego Freeway, has become an annual tradition. Flocks estimated as large as 4,000 have been spotted there in recent years, but this season numbers appear to be well below normal.

Usually, the geese begin arriving in late October and reach their peak about now. Willick has visited the site several times in recent weeks without seeing any of the geese, although they may have been at nearby Sand Canyon Reservoir. Others have reported spotting small numbers of the geese at Quail Hill.

Willick speculates that with the warm weather, the geese may be staying farther north and could still be pushed south with a big storm. Also, the dry fall has meant little grass for foraging.

Quail Hill was recently set aside as a reserve for the geese as part of Irvine’s latest open-space agreement.