I mentioned pelicans in yesterday's post so it seemed fitting to post one today. There's something about pelicans that fascinate me. Maybe it's the fact that I don't come into contact with them very often. Or maybe it's just the look of them. To me it seems that the long beak they have would be a hindrance. But then it's all they've ever known so it would just be normal for them.
There were plenty of pelicans to be seen in Florida. They were very wary of me and kept a good eye on me as I would approach them. I was able to get within about 5 feet of some in order to get a good shot. Sometimes I would take one step to many and they would take off. It became a challenge to see how close I could get before one would fly away and whether I'd get the shot or not. The most amazing part was to watch them plunge dive for fish. They would hit the water at such a speed it made my own head hurt!
Shirley
I like this shot. It reminds me of a great nature documentary series called The Life of Birds. I recommend it for anyone interested in birds.
Melissa
When we were in Puerto Vallarta last year, there were TONS of Pelicans. One of our friends called them the “Mexican Air Force”! They are fascinating – sort of pre-historic.
Jamie
Apparently, the brown pelican of North America is the smallest of the pelican family. It is also one of the few that plunge-dives for its prey. I suppose if the other pelicans are larger it might kill them to dive into the water at that speed.
I read on wikipedia that pelicans have been around for over 40 million years. I don’t think they’ve changed much in that time.