Having lived in California and Oregon with occasional trips to Washington and the west coast of Mexico for most of my life, I have spent hours watching brown pelicans make their impressive dives into the Pacific Ocean capturing fish. White pelicans are much leas common in the West and have a very different approach to fishing. They don’t dive. Instead, they herd fish as a group, scooping them up as they go. Peggy and I had only seen this process once before. We were at Morro Bay on California’s Central Coast and watched a half dozen white pelicans form a semi-circle and herd fish toward shallower waters. Imagine our surprise when we passed by a pond that had between 200-300 swimming back and forth in unison!
Friday’s post will feature baboons.
Wandering through Time and Place 
I’ve seen this behavior a few times, but only once with so many pelicans: down at the Lydia Ann Channel in Port Aransas. It’s an amazing thing to witness. I never see it around here, partly because we have many fewer white pelicans, and those only in winter. But the brown pelicans are everywhere, and I even get to watch them diving for fish in my ‘office.’
I’ve always found brown pelicans a delight to watch, Linda, up and down the west coast and even more so in Puerto Vallarta, but the white pelicans fishing were a new experience for me, except for my minor encounter in Morro Bay. And wow. As for brown pelicans, I’m jealous of your office view. Grin. Do you remember when they were almost wiped out because of DDT. That’s one of the things that brought me into the environmental movement.
Wow, that is a magical pond indeed!
Special! 🙂
Wow, hoe extraordinary. Lucky you to see it.
Another 30 minutes either way and we may not have Peggy. Yes! We were lucky.
Gorgeous Curt! I love pelicans. I have to get to our lake house to see them in Clear Lake. I can stare at them for hours❣️
Does Clear Lake have any white pelicans, Cindy? Or are they mainly brown. I’m with you. Watching pelicans for hours is easy to do. 😳Thanks.
These photos are wonderful. And while I love seeing such a mass of white pelicans, which I have never seen, I am also struck by how many other magnificent birds were there. What a great trip to Florida you had.
The bird life of the Everglades is fascinating, Crystal. I’ll be doing a post on Wednesday about the other bird we saw along the way! Plus throw in a few alligators. 🙂
Curt, I’m smiling at the ease of the phrase that you happened to be driving past when Peggy spotted these white Pelicans! We happen to see a pigeon or a gull! Good on Peggy for slamming on the brakes and going back for a closer look (and photos!) The images are wonderful and what team work by the Pelicans – truly magnificent!
It was amazing, Annika. I’ve watched brown pelicans put on amazing shows of diving, but this was totally different. We were in awe, and so glad we could share it. Thanks. –Curt
Pelicans are such a strange looking bird! Here’s my little story…I was standing by what I thought was a pillar in the Frankfurt Zoo…looked across and a huge pelican was looking back at me! Have you been to the zoo there? Quite an experience! You mentioned Washington State…did you live here? I think I may have told you that I live in Olympia and can see the Capitol dome from my living room window! Thank you for your lovely pictures!
Haven’t been to the Frankfurt zoo, but Peggy lived in Frankfurt for a while in her previous marriage. I’ve never lived in Washington, but in addition to California and Oregon, I’ve lived in Alaska. Our niece lives in Olympia.
Wow, what a beautiful sight to behold!
Yes it was, Arati. A first for us. I love to watch brown pelicans diving, but this was totally different.
And their choreography seems just as magical in its own way
Yes it is Arati!
What wonderful bird life. I’m glad Peggy slammed on the brakes! Thanks for the fun photos.
It was special D. I also have a great video but WP is being difficult in my posting it. Sigh.
Yeah, unless you put your video on youtube, you can’t post it on WP (without upgrading to a paid account).
I have a paid account. 🙂 Hmmm.
Oh. Hmmmm, indeed.
Have to figure that one out…
Oh wow! What a lucky and amazing experience. I bet you were both excited. I would have been.
It reminds me of the time Don and I saw hundreds of snow geese on an island near Vancouver, resting on their annual migration south.
Alison
You’re are 100% right, Alison! Peggy and I were just about as excited as we get. Capturing wildlife doing its thing is always special and this was more special than most. –Curt