From their white bodies to their black wing tips and partial trailing edge, American White Pelicans are making their annual appearance in Missouri. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), over 200 years ago, Lewis and Clark wrote in their journals that they observed a flock of pelicans on a Missouri River sand bar near present-day Lexington. American White Pelicans are still flying and flocking in the local area. “Every spring and fall, pelicans stop to feed or rest at area lakes and rivers as they make their way north and south during annual migrations,” states MDC. “Cooley Lake Conservation Area is the perfect place to see them until the end of April.” Cooley Lake Conservation Area is located 8.4 miles south of Excelsior Springs, off Highway 210 and priorly was the main channel of the Missouri River, as it flowed along the north side of the river bottom. “When the river changed course, a deep oxbow lake was left behind,” says MDC. “As siltation occurred over…