Pelicans are in town. This November and December Brown Pelicans have decided to make Victoria Harbour a wintering ground. We went down this day to see if we could get any close looks at them.

We drove to the end of the parking lot at fisherman's wharf and found a dock to walk out on to look at the little island in the harbour where they have been hanging out. There was one on the dock next to us, it was an adult. The others we could see were juveniles. One young one noticed me and decided to take a closer look and landed right in front of the dock I was standing on.

he appeared quite interested in what I had in my hands, so I found some sticks on the dock and threw them into the water. The gulls went crazy for them, the pelican just stared at the dumb gulls. But they created a stir and all of a sudden more pelicans started to notice and fly towards me.

At least six of them came in and landed out front from me and gazed at me in wonder.

The excitement calmed down and they just kind of sat there, in the water, doing nothing.
We left, but before we got back to the car we notice a pair of smaller beaked birds on the pilings
They were not amused about all the fuss over gangley looking monsters on the water. I think it was beak envy myself, I have seen it before.

juan de fuca

juan de fuca, originally uploaded by robinnestridge.

from the ridge to jocelynn hill in gowlland tod park