Sunday, September 6, 2009

Pelicans aren't the only ones fishing

September is a quiet month for Culebra and many of the islands. But there are some things going on beside peaceful, tranquil quiet moments! You can have your quiet shattered with the billfish and blue marlin tournaments over on the big island, for one thing. There's more, and as ever, I turn to Zain Deane's blog to clue me in. Of course, some are over as we're already moving into September, but I've had a backlog of email from my trip and am still responding to mail I got in late August, being the ever so efficient person I am about doing things like that.

In between rain showers yesterday, the pelicans were going a bit mad and no surprise, I was enjoying the dance. Like fish, a few shots got away from me, always the best ones...the gull landing on one of the peli's backs and snatching a fish right out of its bill came out totally blurry. But I won't forget it and hope you can try to imagine it...

Here are some that didn't get away, some on the edge of not great but go with the moment!

These three kept me mesmerized for a good while

Here is the gull that must seem a thorn in their feathers

They are just such odd looking birds

Wing on wing

Watch carefully...like so!

I spy, with my little eye...

Solo beauty

Covered

I can hear them splashing out there again and since I don't have to water the garden, it will be a good way to spend a few minutes before I find out if my engine will give me any problems after its enforced quietude. Because YES!!! I am going to open today - regardless of sunshine or lack thereof...and lack there is.

Welcome to another day in Paradox!

3 comments:

  1. Haven't seen a pelican 'round these parts since early March. Have to be content with herons and egrets. Last week, however, I drove out to my river property to mow the grass. As I was gassing up the mower, I was distracted by a large shadow swooping over the ground and I just caught a glimpse between the sycamores of a mature baldie. I ran out to the bank to get an unfettered view just in time to see her (it was huge) drop off a dead branch to accelerate for another leg of her flight downstream. We hadn't seen any eagles at the property this year, so I was thrilled. Yesterday I spotted one in a backwater lagoon off the Mississippi, on the Missouri side near the Clark Bridge to Alton, sitting atop a snag. There's not enough room on the shoulder of the highway to pull completely off the road, so I had to endure a couple p.o.ed horn honkers and a one-fingered salute in order to get a confirmed sighting in the rainy fog. No sense of scientific priority, the dumb-asses.
    Anyway, seeing these two reminds me of the joy of one of the biggest success stories in species protection, for they arent just eagles, they are resident balds in a place where none remained just 15 years ago. May that same joy be yours when flamingos dot the marshes of Culebra!

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  2. Dumbasses indeed! I felt sure when I saw your name that you were going to recite the pelican poem again. :-)

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  3. Oh! I haven't seen a bald eagle in years and your description was elegant, bringing back some good memories, thanks!

    Yes, I have gawked my way into the irritation of others, but too bad...the very cool thing is when one or two actually look up out of their a/c world and see the rainbow/bird/sun ring and grin at you like conspirators in a loaded getaway car...

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