Tag Archives: white head

Brown Pelicans are on the move. The first adults have been seen over the past two weeks. Just yesterday, Rick and I saw several flocks fly by when we were at Gualala Point Regional Park getting a geology lesson from Ken Browning. I'll be sharing some of what we learned in a later post.

The first Brown Pelicans spotted are adults. One of the indicators is that their head is white. Paul Brewer photographed one of the first to be seen on April 30.

We particularly cherish these birds because they were so severely impacted by the pesticide DDT that they landed on the Endangered Species List. DDT was banned in the US in 1973 and Brown Pelicans have slowly added to their numbers. They recovered enough to be taken off the Endangered Species List in 2009.
Hooray for the Brown Pelicans!

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Paul's photography, here is his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

Heermann's Gulls are migrating along the Mendonoma Coast, right, along with Brown Pelicans. These medium-sized Gulls, when adults, have white heads and gray bodies. Their backs are darker gray. Paul Brewer recently photographed one that stopped on a bluff near Gualala.

Just look at that red bill - used to steal fish from Brown Pelicans. They've actually been seen going into a Pelican's pouch to steal its catch.

 Here you can see the three shades of this striking Gull.

These Gulls are rarely found inland. They breed in Mexico and then fly north up to the southern portion of British Columbia. They are found nowhere else in the world.

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see more of Paul's beautiful photographs, here is his web site: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

Paul's photos will also be featured at the Dolphin in Gualala for the month of August.

To see a photo of a Heermann's Gull trying to steal a fish, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/08/heermanns-gulls-trying-to-steal-a-brown-pelicans-fish-off-the-mendonoma-coast/