Visitors 3
Modified 23-Jan-22
Created 23-Jan-22
19 photos
On this cold dark afternoon, the last tour of a winter's day, we see many more pelicans than Elephant Seals. Squadrons fly over in waves, both from inland, in the direction of the coastal hills, and from the south, along the coast heading north.
Brown Pelicans are not pretty birds. They remind me a bit of dinosaurs, their distant ancestors (as is true for all birds). From a distance, a squadron of pelicans gracefully inhabits the atmosphere: flying high above in formation, moving to new hunting or resting grounds -- or skimming over the waves, undulating smoothly as the waves pass by, wingtips almost touching the moving salt water. Hunting, they cruise along high above the water, to crumple into a missile diving upon an unsuspecting fish.
Here are portraits of travelling pelicans, beating their wings or soaring high above, on a mission elsewhere. Multiple squadrons, small groups, and individuals.
Meanwhile, a Northern Harrier patrols the chaparral. Gulls fly. If you know the ID of the gull, or anything else of note, please leave a comment!
