Only a couple of years ago I was complaining that, apart from one occasion in Ensenada, Mexico, many years ago, I had never gotten a good look at a Brown Pelican in the wild. That all changed this past year during a couple of trips to Mendocino County in the fall and winter. I saw so many pelicans that my only concern was trying to capture my best shot. I’ll admit that for awhile I did start to suspect these clever birds were making sure I did NOT have my camera handy before cruising right over my head! I’m still hoping to get some sharper images in the future, but at least these are a good start.

On the downstroke

Adult Brown Pelicans have white heads and reddish bills; juvenile birds are dark brown with dark bills

Wheels up