One day last year when I worked at Lake San Antonio at lunch I took my camera down to the marina to see what I could find and of course consult with Howard on the day's events. Howard is the resident domestic duck that lives at the Marina.
The American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) have been very busy at our marina because the "shad" are boiling. Shad's (or or other wise known as river herrings) are so plentiful presently the pelicans are dining like kings. Shad's in themselves are very interesting, but I'll save that for a later date.
Back to our feathered friends. American white pelicans are one of the largest of the boreal (meaning northern) birds. They can weigh as much as 30 pounds and their wing spans can exceed nine feet. Unlike brown pelicans, which do not occur inland from the coast, American white pelicans do not dive to feed. They feed while swimming and work together in groups to encircle and trap their prey, shad being the area of focus at Lake San Antonio.
It was like watching a ballet. Synchronized, they swam on the surface of the lake in a definate order. One leading the pack, one heading up the back of the flock. Two by two they glided across the lake, but prior to their turn-a-bout, they moved into groups of four. They skimmed the water catching their meal in their bills, never missing a beat to the dance.
I was able to get the photo's I did because their movements became apparent to me after watching their pattern they created, even though I had the motion of the up-and-down of the marina I think I captured a few "good ones" for the archives.
