Brown Pelicans
From the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and all coastal points south all the way to Florida, you can usually sight one or more Brown Pelicans in flight or diving in the water for food. Visit boat ramp or fishing pier areas and photo opportunities can increase considerably. This was such the case during my recent trip to Florida.
At one end of the area at a boat ramp, a fisherman was cleaning his fish while a group of adult Brown Pelicans patiently waited on the rocks and in the water.
There were a few juveniles but they were further away in the water, watching but not participating.
Every so often, the fisherman would toss a handful of fish scraps to the adults, causing a beak frenzy!
I was relieved the fisherman finished rather quickly. It looked like one pelican could puncture another’s pouch so easily!
Down at the other end of the park area, there was a fishing pier and a couple blocks of concrete in the water beside it where I found Brown Pelicans perched. These guys made it too easy to get some great shots. 🙂
I even got lucky to have one fly in for a landing to join another one. That’s a seven foot wingspan!
Side by side now!
After these shots, I started back up to the truck and had to walk past this fella again and quickly snapped this head-on shot.
As docile as Brown Pelicans are, they do offer wonderful portrait poses with those long grinning beaks. Makes you wonder just what are they thinking.
For today, be a pelican…..not a pelican’t!
