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elicans make a scene in Oriental for part of the year, gliding on the wind, low to the water in to which they then dive-bomb. With those sudden, straight-down entries, they often stun fish, making them easy pickings to scoop up in to their expandable pouches.

Two pelicans.

There is though, another Brown Pelican feeding technique, which can be witnessed in the waters near Endurance Seafood just west of Oriental. For long stretches, a few dozen pelican hang out on a nearby dock, in wait. They are stirred in to action when Keith Bruno cleans a fish for a customer and flings some of the unwanted bits out in to the water.

Pelicans hang out, on a dock near Endurance Seafood.

This affords a closer than usual view of the once endangered birds. On a recent spring day, the pelicans showed their alternative feeding skills.

Pelicans in water near Endurance Seafood. They congregate there for a reason…

A side of the pelican wing usually not seen by those below.

Pelican framed by another pelican’s wing in the tight quarters of the food scrum. They were in tight quarters for a reason.

Dueling bills….

It’s food they’re fighting over.

Just one food fight.

There would be another food fight in short order.

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The stage is set for pelican food fights. In the foreground the tabletop where Keith Bruno of Endurance Seafood cleans fish and from which he tosses fish remains toward the pelicans.

Another food fight begins.

A tussle between a few pelicans over the remains of one fish.

One pelican snags the fish in to its gular pouch, but…..

… not for long. That fish was back in play a moment later.

Winging it.

Wings down, a trio fights it out for the fish.

The food fight continues:

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Then it’s down to two…

… and then one.

A fish tale. That pelican pouch is used to scoop up fish — usually alive — and hold it while the water scooped up with the fish is strained away.

Things would seem to be in the bag for this pelican.

Yet while the pelican flies off with the fish in its pouch, this bird couldn’t have the fish and eat it, too.

Perhaps because of the weight in its mouth, the bird flew only a few dozen feet away. And when it landed, to strain out the water, it dared not open its bill, because another pelican was waiting for it.

A standoff.

Posted Thursday May 2, 2013 by Melinda Penkava