A Few Steps to Takeoff!

  Mark and I were enjoying a lovely morning on the pier when we noticed one of the brown pelicans diving next to us.  The bird would make its usual crash dive into the water and then sit for the longest time with its bill under water.  Instead of catching the usual six inch long mullet, it was feasting upon one inch long menhaden.  The Bay was full of this tiny fish.  Huge schools were passing under the pier and the pelican was not going to let the free food get away from her.  The pelican (I am thinking this is Cinderella, one of the pelicans named by my granddaughter.) would dive, sit with bill underwater, lift and look skyward then take a big gulp.  Once the load was swallowed, Cinderella would do a fancy little hop, skip and jump before taking flight again.  She would fly in a circle, dive and feast again.  

  Brown pelicans do a funny bit of water-walking before taking flight. They almost look a bit clumsy when taking off but once in full flight the birds are downright graceful.  It always amazes me that something so awkward looking can be so adept.  These birds are the best at what they do.  The dive hunting is a skill unlike any other.  Contrary to the most common belief, they do not dive with their bills open.  How stupid and painful would that be??  There is no way that the bird could survive such a huge impact.  Instead, the bill is closed, the neck tightly tucked and during the dive, the pelican rotates its body to the left.  This protects the trachea when the bird hits the water.  The dive is not meant to catch anything but rather stun and confuse the small fish below the surface. Once the bird recuperates from the dive (a matter of a few seconds), it will scoop up the small fish as they try to reschool.  This is actually a pretty ingenious way of hunting.  The success is obvious as brown pelicans have been using this method forever without change.

  We watched for the longest time and were continually amused at the water-walking takeoff of the pelican.  Just a few steps to takeoff and away we go!  Then, circle, plummet, feast and repeat.