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That's me on a trail (an old picture from today's (8/14/2015) perspective. I'm interested in most animals. But there are a few creatures that can capture all of my attention
when they appear.  Pelicans are one of them.  When I see a flock of them fly by (or even just one), I feel as if transported back to an earlier epoch. Since I've been able to visit the 
coastal ecology on occasion, I've been able to see the pelicans.  I've captured video and photos of pelicans over the years, and I'll be placing some of them here. Older material will be
lower on the page.  I hope visitors to this page enjoy the videos as much as I do. 
During one of my many visits to the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS), I viewed the new (at the time) Coastal Ecology display.  Among the information there was a 
description of the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis); and its history in Texas. I was surprised to learn that the population of Brown Pelicans had declined greatly, but had 
recovered.  I have since found more information on the internet such as:  https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/bpelican/  and  http://www.esasuccess.org/birds.shtml  and a pdf 
here https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0013_eastern_brown_pelican.pdf .
An early threat to Brown Pelicans (and probably others as well) was from fishermen starting in the 1920s and 1930s. Fishermen killed pelicans to stop them from eating too many fish. 
 Scientific study found this concept invalid (Logically it made no sense. If there were thousands of pelicans in the first place, and they were a massive threat to fish--then why were there
still so many fish? That argument can be made for just about any species. If species "X" is a threat to the environment, then why were species "X" and the environment doing ok before 
humans decided to take a look?) Later threats included "harvesting" of pelicans for their feathers (used for fashion). But the worst threat came near the 1940's with the use of DDT.  
Pelicans were among the avian apex predators that were affected by the introduction of DDT into the environment. With every step up the food chain, contaminents in the environment
become more concentrated.  Pelicans suffered, and could not reproduce. 
By the years 1967 -1974, there were only 10 breeding pairs of Pelicans in the entire state of Texas.  Just TEN!! IN ALL OF TEXAS!!  Near the time I was in high school, Pelicans almost
disappeared from Texas...and maybe from everywhere else.  But laws were passed, and protections put into place, and now there are thousands of pelicans in Texas skies again.  That
is WONDERFUL.   So-after 7/3/2015-I've taken an occasional road trip to go watch pelicans--just because I can; because they could have been wiped out 40 years ago, and I wouldn't 
be seeing them now. I'm sharing pictures and video clips on this page so folks who can't visit pelicans can see them here. Actually...
that's why I've shared most of the items on my website. (additional note 01/26/2024): In December 2012, I discovered that American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
were spending winters at Fiorenza Park, which is much closer to were I live. So I've been able to watch them, as well. They're on this page, too.

01/20/2024  I went to Fiorenza Park, because it was sunny, and I wanted to see if there were any effects from the recent cold weather.  I didn't stay for
long, because it was still pretty cold. But there are always birds there, and of course, possibly Bald Eagles. No Eagles on this day, though. 
A couple American White Pelicans Pelecanus erythrorhynchos were leisurely working the shoreline close to the low bridge. I saw them dip their beaks into the water, do a
slow probe or two, then come back up. I assumed they were trying to catch fish--especially Armored Catfish--that might have been stunned by the cold water.  I shot a few
photo bursts, and a few video clips.  I caught a very interesting sequence.
   

It's possible to tell when a Pelican has caught something after it has dipped because there will usually be  manipulation and swallowing movements.  Light, focus were
just right when the Pelican turned towards me!  We can see that it had caught an Armored Catfish (probably Pterygoplicthys or Hypostomus ). The fish didn't seem to have
extended its spines, but the Pelican tossed it around a bit anyway. When it did, we can see the wonderful expansion of its bottom jaw (lower beak)!
   

The Pelican juggled the Armored catfish a few times (as almost all the birds that catch them do). Then it finally swallowed the fish. There is video, which I may upload later.
As I edited these images, this limerick popped into mind. I had to go online to verify the source, and found that it is also in public domain. So...here it is:
                   The Pelican  by Dixon Lanier Merritt, 1913
                  "A wonderful bird is the pelican,
                   His bill will hold more than his belican,
                   He can take in his beak
                   Enough food for a week
                   But I'm damned if I see how the helican!"  
   

From Fiorenza Park on 01/14/2022. I really enjoy seeing  the American White Pelicans (I just call them White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)) at the park. The
sight of a raft of 20 or more swimming in formation with a mass of Cormorants (mostly Neotropic (?) Nannopterum brasilianum) is really something. They were at work today, and I tried to
capture burst photos of the birds.  This time, I think I got really lucky and picked the right Pelican as it took off.  Its flight path, the burst mode setting, and a bunch of other elements gave me
68 really nice high resolution shots as the pelican left the water.  Since the mechanics of bird flight interests me, I'm going to share some of the pictures here, along with a lower-res
anigif (320 x 240) of the entire series.  I made the anigif smaller so it would load easier. I always post smaller images than the originals here for similar reasons.  I pressed the shutter when
I noticed the pelican starting its take-off, so I missed the very first push.  Pic 1-- the wings starting to fold as the legs begin to come forward. Pic 2-wings fold more to prepare for lifting up 
while legs continue moving forward.  Pic 3-legs have moved under and feet are a bit forward as wings continue up.  Pic 4-feet have broken the surface of the water as wings begin to 
straighten up.

   

Pic 5--Feet start back "double-paddle" thrust; wings are fully extended and lifted, ready to push down for thrust.  Pic 6 wings are pushing down (angled a bit, too) for lift and forward thrust;
while the legs are straightened for double-paddle forward.  Pic 7--continuation of both wing and leg thrust . Pic 8-- Double-paddle completed as feet leave the water, while wings have completed
the down stroke.  Look at that!  Legs out and wings flat across--same position is repeated in Pic 16. ( I'm guessing at the mechanics here.)
   

Pics 9 -12 --the cycle repeats, as the distance between the Pelican and the water increases.
   

Pics 13 -16 --the cycle repeats, as the distance between the Pelican and the water increases. The timing of the camera burst with this was cycle was wonderful! At first glance it seems like
I've just posted 8 pictures twice--but they are NOT the same images.  And of course, the anigif below shows all 68.  
   

The anigif below shows the entire sequence. Notice that with each double-paddle/wingflap down cycle, the length of exposed legs in the water gets longer as the pelican gains altitude.
What a magnificent sight!  And what's even better, is that I've been able to  see these birds take off many, many times over the last few years.
 

02/20/2021   A few days after the Big February Freeze of Texas, I was out at Fiorenza Park North again, It's not too far from home.  I spent some time watching the American White
Pelicans,  and I was able to capture high-speed video clips of two of them landing.  I'd been wanting to capture that footage, and I finally had two examples 10 minutes apart.  If you 
watch the video, which I have slowed 8 times, you'll be ableto see that "water-ski" landing.  It looks like fun! The two images below are frames from the video.  So, there's
a two-minute video here (mp4).

  
      Coming in for a hydroplane landing.                    Take off, quick landing, dip and grab  

01/09/2021  I've been going to Fiorenza park more often lately. It's not too far from my home (about 20 minutes' drive) and very few people are there when I am.  As usual for
the winter months, many White Pelicans and Cormorants appear there.  I really enjoy seeing them forage together in large rafts, and have taken a number of photos and 
video clips over the last few weeks.  I've chosen to post what I saw today (January 9th) because I captured some unusual footage. The images below a beautiful White 
Pelican flying over, and then some long views of the opposite side of one of the lakes (about 230 meters (761 ft) away from where I was standing, and the fleet of 
Cormorants and Pelicans as they swam across from there.

12/21/2020  Since this March of 2020, I've been limiting exposure to crowds of people--because of Covid19 protocols, of course. One of the biggest reasons I was limiting my exposure was
so I wouldn't contract the disease, and then bring it to my workplace. Regardless of how my co-workers might live outside of work, I didn't want to be the one who got infected, and caused
any disruptions for my friends and coworkers there.  About a week ago, this extra reason for vigilance became unnecessary--because I don't work there any more.  While this may allow a bit 
more freedom (at least until I find other employment), I still have to be careful. So, I'm not sure if I'll be going out more often. It is still best to stay home.  But I have been able to get outside
the entire time, and have avoided groups of people.  Today, I visited Archbishop Fiorenza Park again. It was a beautiful day!! Here a few pictures from that trip.

    
           Cormorants and White Pelicans                     Cormorants and White Pelicans closer            White Pelicans and Cormorants even closer                        Nutria Swimming By

01/02/2017 I like to watch pelicans. White pelicans are very large. Pelicans usually catch fish. Brown pelicans often dive from quite high, and then surface with their catch (if successful).
Much larger White pelicans don't dive like this, but paddle along, and then dip down with their beaks to catch prey. But, to increase their chances of success White pelicans "group feed".
That is, they form groups to herd schools of fish into concentrated schools which they can exploit.  I found a study on this behavior:  "Foraging Behavior of the American White Pelican
(Pelecanus erythrorhyncos)in Western Nevada, by John G.T. Anderson 1991"  This had the most detail about what I watched on 1/2/2017.  I was at Fiorenza park again.  On previous visits,
I've seen White pelicans off in the distance, and also have seen them fly over me.  Today, I was able to watch them group-feeding, and I followed them for a few hours as they moved 
back-and-forth across the lake. Occasionally, they moved a bit closer, and then I filmed what I could.  Along with the White pelicans, there wasa great mob of cormorants.  Most references
that I could find of cormorants foraging with White pelicans identify the cormorants as Double-Crested cormorants...so I'm going to guess that's what I saw here. I can't pick out the white 
outlines around the rear of the beak on these cormorants that I can see on Neotropic cormorants.  At Fiorenza park on January 2nd, 2017, I watched the pelicans at work.  These were 
relatively small foraging groups (maybe about 5 or 10 pelicans--but many cormorants) which works best according to the study. But at first there was a large group of 40 or so. The movement
of the pelicans drives the fish, and when one starts to "dunk" for fish, then others follow suit. This is because the fish will disperse when pelicans start trying to grab them (according to the 
study). But I saw the cormorants diving around and through the formation of pelicans all the time (which seems to refute the previous statement about fish dispersal). After a few minutes of the
pelicans dipping, most of the mass of cormorants would take off to another part of the lake. The pelicans might fly a short distance, or paddle some distance, and then they'd start swimming
in formation again. Eventually the mass of cormorants would join them, and the process was repeated.  This is similar to the behavior described in the study, though the environment was a bit
different. For instance, I didn't see the pelicans herd prey into shallows.  The images below are just 4 random photos I shot of the birds at work that day.

    

There was so much going on in the midst of the group that it was hard to pick out any single event. So...I just snapped a few images, and shot some video clips when I thought the pelicans
were actually foraging. I shot some high framerate footage to try to clarify some of the activity.  The edited footage is here . I really enjoyed watching all this. The study (and other sources) refer
to occasional kleptoparasitism by the White pelicans--since they steal food from the cormorants and from each other. In the slow motion clips (each of which represent 2 seconds of "actual 
time" slowed down), I've caught a few unsuccesful attempts at theft by the pelicans.  I think I also found where a pelican had a cormorant trapped inside its beak. That is also in the same
video clip.  I guess that perhaps the pelican and the cormorant went for the same fish; or that the cormorant tried to steal a fish from the pelican--which then just grabbed the cormorant. But, at
the beginning, the other pelicans are clustered around the pelican with the trapped comorant in what appears to be attempts at stealing it from the pelican--or stealing my hypothetical fish from
the cormorant inside the pelican's beak. It also looks like the pelicans are engaging in some kind of "thuggery" and smacking the cormorant around. But of course, that doesn't seem likely. In
any case, I couldn't tell what eventually happened to the trapped cormorant amidst all the activity. The images below are frame grabs from the video that illustrate what I'm talking about.

  
           01 5 PELICANS GRABBING SOMETHING                                    O2  5 PELICANS LIFTING SOMETHING                                   O3  5 PELICANS HAVE A CORMORANT!    

  
            O4  5 CORMORANT IS IN THE POUCH                               O5  5 CORMORANT TAIL SHOWS FROM POUCH                            O6  5 CORMORANT IS STILL IN THE POUCH    

  
          O7  5 LOADED PELICAN TRYING TO FLY?                              O8  5 LAST GLIMPSE OF THE CORMORANT

08/13/2015--  Quintana, Texas.   I was able to shoot some video at 210fps.  This time, I captured some clips of pelicans diving. A search of the internet produced a very interesting paper:
"Prey capture by the Brown Pelican", by SCHREIBERR, . W., G. E. WOOLFENDENA, ND W. E. CURTSINGER. 1975  I found it here. It describes what happens while the pelican dives. 
The images below only show the entry into the water. They are frames from the video clip here(mp4) . The clips also show what happens after the dive. There are images of what happens
underwater shown in the study.  Here is a description, taken from the study above: 1) head pulled back over shoulders and bend wings 2) head is kept stable for sighting down bill at target
3) keeping wings bent increases speed 4) wings are used to correct trajectory 5) when bill touches water, legs and wings pushed back,which thrusts bill forward. 6)Bill enters water with 
pouch contracted between lower jaw sections (flexible mandibular rami).  7)Jaw positioned so prey is between upper and lower jaws. When prey is in correct position, jaws are adjusted to 
surround it. 8) Upper jaw *may* also "herd" prey towards lower jaw which is allowed to stretch and collect everything. 9) Lower jaw parts allowed to expand and swell the gular pouch. The 
pouch can hold 10,000 cc of water (about 2.6 gallons) The entire pelican weighs about 2.9 kg (6,4 lb), but the filled pouch can weigh about 6.5 kg (14.3 lb).  10)The head is NOT moved to 
trap prey when full.The jaws close, keeping the filled pouch. 11) If pouch is empty, head and filled pouch are lifted straight out, allowing water to pour out the front of closed bill, which is 
pointing down. 12) If there is a fish inside, it is kept in by the closed bill. If there is prey caught, it can take 60 seconds to pour out the water while keeping prey inside the bill. then the head is
tilted back, and the fish is swallowed. So, it is fairly easy to tell if a pelican has caught something by noting how quickly it surfaces and lifts its head after a dive. In the video I have linked 
above, I have 2 examples of "misses" and 2 examples of successful "catches".  For the latter two, the pelicans were not quite as cooperative, and were further away. 

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Finally, this last image (above right) is from another video clip here(mp4) . I found the clip interesting because of what was going on behind the pelican. First, another pelican can be seen 
diving. Then, a couple fish appear in frame, and it looks like they have jumped at least a couple feet out of the water. They also look like sharks to me. Their bodies are sort of "oval" and not flat
--and it appears that the tail has two lobes, but one is longer than the other. The shape of the pectoral and dorsal fins (from what I can see) appears to be sharklike.

07/025/2015--  Quintana, Texas.  Once again, I went out to look for the usual things.  I was able to shoot some video at 120fps.  This time, I captured some clips of pelicans grooming, and 
flying. The first 11 images (below) are frames from the first video clip linked here(mp4) . These are the groups of Pelicans performing various grooming functions. One of the most interesting
was this "stretching" of their pouch. As the images show, a pelican tilts back its head and apparently stretches out the pouch by doing this. After the head-raising, the pelicans then pull their 
head down, forming a strong curve in their neck. This seems to allow for the pouch to be pushed "inside-out". It's a very odd sight, since it appeared to me that the neck showing inside the 
pouch was bare, with no skin showing. According to the Sibley Guide to Bird Behavior, pelicans to this to keep the skin flexible. There is another part of the clip that shows a pelican 
scratching its head with its foot. It keeps balance well, while reaching under its wing to scratch. It also turns its head and moves it towards the scratching foot.

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07/04/2015--  Quintana, Texas.  Once again, I went out to look for dolphins and pelicans...and whatever else shows up. This time I shot some video at 120fps.  I could STILL watch pelicans 
soaring and diving all day...and I suppose I've done that. This time, I captured some clips of pelicans diving for fish. The first image (below left) is a frame from the first part of the video clip 
linked here(mp4) . The remaining images are from the second part of the clip, and show the part where a dolphin can be seen in the background as the pelican dives.  I have more clips 
showing dolphins, but the clips are very short, and don't show much of the dolphin's activities. Some day, I'll try to post some of those clips.

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02/21/2015--  Quintana, Texas.  Once again, I went out to look for dolphins and pelicans...and whatever else shows up. This time I shot some video at 210fps.  I could watch pelicans 
soaring and diving all day...and I suppose I've done that. I got lucky and captured this Brown Pelican taking off from the water--at 210 fps. Note how it lifts its wings clear of the water first,
then gains speed by pushing with both feet in a "leaping-paddling" motion.  The image below left is a frame from the video clip linked here(mp4) .   Next, there is a clip showing a Brown
Pelican (with the bright mating colors on its head) flying by, also filmed at 210 fps. The image below center is a frame from the video clip linked here(mp4) .  
Finally, there is a clip showing a Brown Pelican (with the bright mating colors on its head) flying high, then slanting down to skim just above the water, also filmed at 210 fps. The image 
below right is a frame from the video clip linked here(mp4) .  The last clip is a great example of a Pelican using "ground effect" or "compression" gliding.  As the Pelican gets close to the
surface of the water, the air is compressed under its body and extended wings. This causes the air under the wings to become more dense, and this increased density helps hold the 
Pelican aloft.  Therefore, it is using less energy to fly. Notice that the Pelican has to rise a little higher to allow room for the occasional wing-flap. Ground-effect doesn't start until the 
height above the ground is equal to or less than the wing span.  Above that distance, there is no air compression or increased density.

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            BROWN PELICAN TAKING OFF                    BROWN PELICAN FLYING BY              BROWN PELICAN FLIES HIGH TO LOW

05/11/2013--  Quintana, Texas.  Many folks (especially "birders") like to visit Quintana, and specifically the Neotropic Bird Sanctuary there.  While I do like to walk the sanctuary 
occasionally, I really like to go to the rock jetty that is just a little past the Sanctuary. The jetties protect and show one of the openings to the Intracoastal Waterway. I can (and do) easily
spend hours there watching the various forms of life as they work this area. Pelicans are there, too. On this day, I happened along when the Pelicans were hunting (fishing? foraging?)
and was able to capture some video.  Click here(wmv) or here(mp4) to see 2 minutes' worth of Pelicans diving--filmed at 120fps. 

12/01/2012--  I was leaving a beignet shop in Chinatown when I notice a formation of large birds flying overhead. When I looked closer (I grabbed a pair of binoculars out of the car); 
I saw that they were Pelicans! Big, White Pelicans.  As I watched, they moved off a little, and then swooped down to land.  That really caught my attention, and I got in the car and drove
towards where I'd last seen the pelicans. Then I realized I was heading towards Arthur Storey Park, and the large water-retention area there.  When I got there, I didn't see the small flock
of Pelicans swimming. Instead, I saw a mass of white birds on the island. The entire island was covered with White Pelicans! And...a large number of Cormorants, and a few other wading
birds. I couldn't stay long, but seeing this group of big birds was an unexpected treat.

11/24/2012--  I finally made the trip to Quintana, Texas. I'd heard about it from many of the birders that I'd talked to at BBSP.  So, I drove South on 288...and made it to Quintana. I didn't stay 
for long, but I found the jetty (this is just one side of the channel). And, I saw some Brown pelicans flying.  Here are 2 pictures of them gliding by. I really enjoy watching the pelicans as they 
glide just above the surface of the water.

01/04/2009--  I was walking along 40 Acre Lake trail at BBSP when a large flying bird caught my attention. It was white, and I thought it was a Great Egret. But, something about it didn't seem 
right, so I looked at it through the binoculars. It was was a White Pelican! Pelicans hardly ever visit the park, and I watched as it flew out over Pilant Lake. I just assumed it was passing through.
I climbed the Observation Tower to see what I could. It was pretty cold, and the breeze up at the top is pretty strong. My eyes teared profusely, making difficult to see in some directions. When
I looked out over Pilant Lake, I found the Pelican again, and so I was able to observe it through my camera. The full optical zoom (20x) didn't help as much as I'd have liked, so I tried the digital
zoom (100x), and it worked surprisingly well. Today's RICKUBISCAM (see RICKUBISCAM 01/04/09 below) is a frame capture from one of the video clips of the Pelican foraging in the lake.
I was surpised at the leisurely dipping that the Pelican was doing. I found out (according to The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior) that this is common behavior for the White Pelican. The
Brown Pelican feeds on saltwater prey, and dives onto potential food; while the White Pelican (the one I saw) prefers freshwater prey, and does this dipping behavior. The Pelican's beak with
that large pouch (gular pouch) is used only to catch food--not to store it. The pouch is sensitive enough (I don't know the mechanism) so the Pelican can detect food even in darkness. The 
White Pelican can also have a wingspan of about 9 feet!  I wanted to try to catch some photos or videos of the Pelican taking off, but the cold finally made me turn out of the wind, but I at least
shot some video footage of the Pelican foraging. An edited version of some of the clips can be seen  here (wmv 16.5 mb).
As I was looking the other way, some park visitors called up to me, and I turned in time to see the Pelican flying right towards the tower. I turned the camera around, and shot a couple bursts 
of photos. These are mostly blurred ( it's hard to focus on a flying bird). I did what I could with one of the images, and it at least shows this striking bird. (See Pelican Flyby below)
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                                                 PELICAN FLYBY                                                             RICKUBISCAM 01/04/09

If you'd like to know more about the park follow these links:

Brazos Bend State Park   The main page.

Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer's Page  The volunteer's main page.
 

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