Looking for fish

 

Immature Brown Pelicans off Bodega Head, 8 August 2016

Feeding near shore

Nice light on the pelicans feeding near shore in Bodega Harbor tonight:

 

 

I know what it feels like...

 

On my way back from the post office this afternoon, I stopped to watch a flock of American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) feeding in Bodega Harbor.  One of the pelicans looked a little funny.  Did you notice it, too?

The pelican on the far right had a piece of sea lettuce (Ulva sp.) draped over its head.  It probably just got stuck there while the pelican was fishing.  But it made me laugh because I know what it feels like to have sea lettuce on your face!  While pulling lobster traps when we were young, sometimes my sister and I would have sea lettuce "fights."  It's the perfect seaweed for it, because the thin, transparent sheets mold right to your face.

Tight formation

 

Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) along the Sonoma Coast, 18 October 2015

Island of activity

I haven't shown a picture of Bodega Rock in a while.  This picture was taken from the southern end of Bodega Head on 18 July 2015.  There was lots of sea lion and cormorant activity.  You might be able to spot some pelicans, too.  I wished I had had my audio recorder, as I could hear a Wandering Tattler over there!

Revealing

 

American White Pelicans foraging in Bodega Harbor, 19 May 2013

I like this picture because it reveals quite a bit about white pelicans.

About foraging — White pelicans often forage in groups.  They feed by dipping their bills into shallow water, and often do so synchronously.  Note the raised wing posture, which I'm guessing is for balance while reaching below the surface.

About habitat use — You can see that these pelicans are in a relatively sheltered location with mudflats in the background.  Scanning carefully, you will also find strands of eelgrass draped around some of the birds (especially the second bird from the left), indicating use of seagrass beds.

About reproduction — Look closely for birds with gray feathers on their crowns.  This coloration is found in chick-feeding adults.  (White pelicans don't breed on the coast, but they've arrived here after nesting at inland lakes.)  And the large rounded "horn" on the bill of some individuals is also only present during the breeding season (it's usually shed after eggs are laid).

About species interactions — Note the Great Egret in the background.  The egret appeared to be "attending" this flock of pelicans, waiting for fish that the pelicans flushed or missed. 

 

Flooded and flushed

One of the highest tides of the year led me to the Gaffney Point salt marsh in Bodega Harbor this morning.  The tide reached +6.98 feet at 9:56 a.m.  [The highest (and lowest) tides of the year occur around both the winter and summer solstices.]

Here's a view looking across Bodega Harbor with some known landmarks in the background: Lucas Wharf (right side) and The Tides (left side).

 

Most days you would see dense salt marsh vegetation in the foreground here, but it was almost completely flooded at this time.  

American White Pelicans and Snowy Egrets found one of the only sites remaining above water.

 

While photographing the high tide, one of my favorite sightings involved this species:

 

A Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) was taking advantage of the tide's flushing action.  As the water flooded the marsh, insects flew up and out of the vegetation, and this flycatcher was waiting!

The phoebe perched on various objects surrounded by water, flew out to capture an insect (such as a fly or moth), and then flew back to a perch to consume it.

 

Below, the phoebe has prey in its bill, but I couldn't quite make out what it was.

 

A Black Phoebe was also in the area, but several times the Say's Phoebe chased it away (vociferously!).  This high tide led to some interesting views and interactions.

P.S.  Tomorrow (14 December 2012), the high tide will be similar: +6.85 feet at 10:46 a.m.

Big wave season

Passing storms during the last few days have generated some of the largest waves of the season so far.  Today there was a west swell, with ~12-14 foot waves, and a wave period of ~15 seconds.  (Wave period is basically how fast the waves are traveling — it's the time it takes for two successive wave crests to pass the same point.)

 

It's often hard to judge the size of a wave from a picture.  It helps to have something nearby for scale.  

Here are two images, the first with Brown Pelicans (wing span of ~2 meters or 79 inches) and the second with a Western Gull (wing span of ~1.5 meters or 58 inches).

 

 

One more view from the side:

 

Although these waves are large, the most energetic winter storms can produce waves up to 20 feet, and in extreme events we've seen waves up to 30 feet.  When those waves slam into Bodega Head, it feels like the entire headland is rumbling and shaking!

Bon voyage!

 

The view during a sail and kayak adventure on Tomales Bay on 26 August 2012.  From left to right are Tomales Point (the northern tip of Point Reyes), Bodega Head (in the far background through the mouth of Tomales Bay), and Tom's Point (with distinct trees).  Seals and pelicans (both species) are in the foreground.

A large flock of Brown Pelicans flying overhead.

 

A pretty hydromedusa in shallow water near shore.  This is a species of Aequorea, sometimes called a Crystal Jelly.  Note the many radial canals with pale blue gonadal folds.  This individual was ~8 cm across.

 

We were sailing with Nature today (sitting forward below) and wish her Bon voyage! on her upcoming journey to Washington, D.C. and beyond (including Antarctica!).

 

Safari njema! (in Swahili)

Oq yo'l (Happy journey in Uzbek) 

Cair Vie!  (Fair winds in Manx)

The fishermen

 

Early morning view of a fishing boat and American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in Bodega Harbor on 17 May 2012.

American White Pelicans are known for their large size and white and black plumage.  Their wingspan ranges between 8–9.5 ft., making it one of the largest of any North American bird.  (It's about the same or even a little larger than the California Condor!)

White pelicans start arriving on the coast in May and are present in good numbers through early December.  In California, they currently only nest at inland freshwater lakes in the northeastern part of the state (Klamath Basin).

During the breeding season, adults develop a rounded, vertical plate on the upper mandible.  The plate varies in height, but can be up to 6 cm tall (see below left).  The exact function of the plate is unknown, but it's probably related to courtship or territorial behavior (the plate is shed after eggs are laid).

 

It's fun to look for white pelicans roosting on sand flats at low tide and feeding (cooperatively) in shallow water near shore.  Small groups work together; watch for synchronous bill dipping.  Their pouches are distensible and are used to scoop up small fish (white pelicans don't plunge dive like Brown Pelicans).

Here's one "yawning", extending its bill skyward.  You're seeing the lower mandible/pouch, with the upper mandible barely visible to the right.

Gliding along the coast

Along the Pacific Coast, Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) nest on islands off of western Mexico and in southern California on the Channel Islands (West Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands).  Post-breeding, they disperse northward along the coast as far as British Columbia.

Can you guess the length of their wingspan (from tip to tip)?

Average wingspan for Brown Pelicans is ~2 meters (6.5 feet).

 Can you guess: 

• the length of the bill?
• the volume of water the pouch can hold?
• maximum life span?
• favorite food in the Southern California Bight?

 

• Their bills are extremely long, ~25-38 cm (9-14")
• The distinctive pouch can hold ~2 gallons of water 
• Maximum life span is ~40 years
• Favorite food in the Southern California Bight: Northern Anchovy and Pacific Sardine

One more: How fast do you think they can glide (how many meters/second or miles per hour)?

 

The average gliding speed of Brown Pelicans is ~11.7 meters/second (26 miles per hour).

 

20/20

1 April 2012

Winds out of the NW at 20 mph

20 ft. NW swell

 

 (Wave period was about 10-11 seconds.) 

 

 

Not many birds today, but here's one for RAF.