Pelican sentry caught eyes wide shut.

I captured this shot of this Pelican thinking he was looking out from the ferry landing, waiting for the next ferry (i.e. the next meal to come rolling in.  However, when I blew up the shot, I discovered the real truth:  Look at the eyes -- he is SLEEPING!

The long art of pruning your pelican feathers

Can you imagine combing your hair with a brush with a handle this long?  This pelican seems to have mastered the art, but it does give his neck a good workout. He was displaying his mastery at the Bolivar Peninsula ferry landing recently.

You are cleared for landing

Helicopter pilots have nothing on these guys. Drying to drop on those round pilings at the Bolivar Peninsula Ferry Landing, in a stiff wind is nothing to take lightly. Besides, helicopter pilots don't have a big beak to get in the way as do these Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis). Hey, we all got our peaks to carry.

Notice though how carefully this feathery flyer works -- trimming his flaps up on one side and down on the other. Looks like he's be doing it all his life.

--steve buser

Brown Pelicans, Pelecanus occidentalis, Bolivar Peninsula

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Brown Angels

These Brown Pelicans seemed to be doing their Blue Angels impersonation as they cruised the beach along Galveson, TX

--steve buser

Brown Pelicans, Beach, Galveson, Texas

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Wave-to-wind hop sets him sailing

A Brown Pelican which had been sitting on the water warching our Galveston-Bolivar ferry pull into the ferry landing, suddenly decides it''s time to get up amd move about. He timed a wave pretty good and pushed off strong with his feet to send him skyward.

--steve buser

Pelican, Galveston, ferry, Bolivar Peninsula, TexasPowered by ScribeFire.