Tag Archives: Brown Pelicans

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I had never seen this before. Brown Pelicans rest and take shelter on offshore rocks. Jon Shiu noticed hundreds, perhaps a thousand or more, in the water, together in quite a few large groups, very close to the Mendocino Headlands.

I sent Jon's photos to several ornithologists and they had never seen this either. I hope to learn more in the days ahead. It must have been a safe haven for them!

Thanks to Jon for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

Sunny and warm (70+ degrees!) today, a beautiful day on the Mendonoma Coast!

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Shari Goforth found this bald eagle hunting. She saw all the gulls take flight but the brown pelicans stayed in place. It's very rare for a bald eagle to take a much bigger brown pelican, but gulls are much easier pickings.

Thanks to Shari for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

The past weekend and today, Monday, have been warm with very little wind - perfect autumn days!

 

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Brown pelicans are so much fun to watch. They ride the wind currents over the bluffs and rocky islands in the ocean. Steve Woolson recently photographed these pelicans headed south.

Jon Shiu photographed many brown pelicans resting on the bluffs and rocks at the Mendocino Headlands.

Through my spotting scope, I can see a hundred of more brown pelicans resting overnight on Fish Rocks off Anchor Bay. And the Gualala River, with its big sandbar, plays host to hundreds every day recently.

They will soon head south to their breeding grounds and I will miss them until they return in the spring.

Thanks to Steve and Jon for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Yesterday we had a storm rumbled through. 1.18 inches at Rick's and my place. 3.41 inches season to date. Today it is cool - mid 50's - with some showers. The sunset could be amazing!

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Craig Tooley was at Del Mar beach on Sea Ranch when he found these Brown Pelicans hanging out together on a rock. And another photo where one is in flight.

There are hundreds of Brown Pelicans on the Mendonoma coast now. Mostly they are beginning to fly southward now.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://ruffimage.com

It's cloudy and cool with the occasional raindrop! Could be a beautiful sunset tonight.

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Loch Michie was out with his camera and he photographed four adult Brown Pelicans flying northward.

You can tell they are adults by the white heads. Juveniles have brown heads.

The Brown Pelicans are disbursing northward so the fish they live on will be abundant.

Thanks to Loch for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

It was foggy this morning, but it pulled back over the ocean. It then got nice and toasty, in the high 70's. That probably sounds heavenly to those of you under that heat dome. I hope that heat dome breaks down ASAP.