Brown Pelican

Of all the birds on the Texas coast, the Brown pelican has to be the easiest to photograph. They seem to not be afraid of humans, so it is easy to get close to them to photograph them, and because they are large, you really don't have to get very close.

In the early 1970's they were placed on the endangered species list. The shell of their eggs were being weakened by the effects of DDT. This was a particular problem for them because they do not incubate their eggs like most birds. Most birds sit on their nests, Brown pelicans incubate their eggs by standing on them. They were removed from the endangered species list late last year.

All creatures, including us humans, are opportunistic. Brown pelicans seem to take it to a completely different level. I have often observed them standing just a few feet away from a fisherman, waiting, hoping for a handout. This series of photos was taken just below a fish cleaning station. They were being amply rewarded for their opportunism.