And finding so much more!
One day last November, Katherine and I headed out to the cliffs near Four Mile Beach. We’d recently seen a Peregrine Falcon eating breakfast atop a large rock not too far off shore. We wanted to see it again, but at the same time, we felt sorry for his breakfast; Peregrine Falcons eat other birds. This Falcon’s breakfast may have had a family.
We saw our bird at 7:24 A.M. I took a few pictures and he flew away.
Forty-five minutes later, we saw him again.
The Peregrine Falcon was not the only creature out there that day. A Great Egret flew by. Fifty Surf Scoters (which I have finally stopped calling “Surf Scooters!”) gathered for a meeting. When we turned away from the ocean, we saw a Northern Harrier flying low over the fields behind us. Black Oystercatchers searched the rocks below. We saw dolphins at play, too far away to get a good photo but close enough to ID and enjoy them.
Katherine and I headed down the trail and saw a commotion in the water. Cormorants, pelicans and seagulls were fishing in a frenzy.
Sometimes it seemed that there was cooperation among the birds.
Other times, things were less friendly.
When I zoom in the the “yelling” gull*, the water drops make it look like he has teeth!
*According to Wikipedia, “seagull” is a layman’s term and not used by ornithologists or biologists. Or pretentious bloggers. 😛
Some of the birds escalated from a Noise Disturbance or Fighting in Public to Attempted Robbery.
Looks may be deceiving, though, which is why we have courts of law. That pelican may have a defense. “That cormorant picked my pouch!” Gular pouch, that is.
This pelican was caught in a brief moment of repose. I was caught in a brief moment of artistic fancy.
Repose over. Ditto artistic fancy.
Back to the fray for our Brown Pelican friend. Back to the computer for our blogging friend.