"Breakfast on the Fly"
North Topsail Beach, NC - January 2010 (Click to embiggen)
Pelicans are amazing to watch. Especially when it's feeding time. Somehow, even in this light, they can spot fish that are momentarily trapped in the trough between two waves and scoop them out of the water on the fly. The birds will disappear behind the leading wave for a second or two, appearing for all the world like they've dived below the surface, then come out the other end of the trough still in full stride. As new Year's Day 2010 dawned over Topsail Island, I watched them perform this aerobatic maneuver usually in groups of two or three (though whether that's significant or not I don't know). Not being much of a bird expert I can't tell you much more than this. I can only marvel at the innate skill and coordination it must take. Not to mention the eyesight!
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