Brown Pelican

Sitting in Cape, you may see a flying V above head. At first glance you may think geese, ducks? But chances are, the large, dark-colored water birds that fly in a V formation overhead the bay is the Brown Pelican. Often they will fly low over the water’s surface, almost touching it with its wingtips. I get a total kick out of watching them flap clumsily just above the water, they are so large in stature making them great birds to photograph as they are slower than most sea birds. The pelican flies with its neck folded and head resting on its back like seen above.

The Pelican feeds primarily on fish such as herring, sheepshead and silversides and can eat up to 4 pounds of fish per day. They hunt by flying high above the water to find a school of fish, then diving head-first into the water to catch its prey.