Saturday, October 8, 2011

brown pelican ~ 10/08/11 ~ Wharf No. 2

juvenile California brown pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis californicus

I'm always trying for better pictures. Their white bellies make me sure these are juveniles. I'm just really glad they didn't poop on me as they were flying overhead. One poor tourist nearby got hammered by the machine-gun-like poop droppings. She and her partner had no idea what had happened. I think they heard it before she felt it. Her hair and the back of her jacket were covered in goop. For some reason I apologized as I watched their befuddlement and explained to them what happened. Fortunately she had extra clothes in the car. Sometimes I think pelicans and gulls like to play drop-on-the-target with their poop. I've seen it too many times to believe it's mere coincidence.