the pelicans have landed

Every summer brown pelicans show up to feast on bait fish that arrive with the ocean currents. But this year they arrived early and by the thousands! For a week the beach was filled and I mean filled with pelicans eating all day- it was a sight to be seen!

Pelican Fun Facts:

Fossils of pelicans date back almost 40 million years ago.

Pelican pouches can hold up to three gallons of water (2 - 3 times the amount their stomachs can hold).

Depending on the species, a pelican's the body length can range from 4 to 6 feet and the weight can range from 10 to 30 pounds.

The brown pelican dives on fish from above and snares them in its bill. 

Pelicans do not store fish in their pouch, but simply use it to catch them and then tip it back to drain out water and swallow the fish immediately. 

Gulls will often sit on a pelican's head to steal its fish when it opens its bill to pour out the water

Pelicans are social birds and typically travel in flocks, often strung out in a line. 

Pelicans incubate their eggs with their feet. They hold the eggs under the webs that stretch from the front toes to the hind toe, essentially standing on the eggs to warm them.