Still Fishing
A while back I was watching this young brown pelican fishing in the salt marsh. I thought I saw something unusual on the bird and when I examined the images later I realized that this pelican had a fishing lure stuck under the front portion of it’s right wing.
Sadly we see this type of thing far too often especially here along the coast. Birds can easily get stuck with hooks and tangled in fishing line. Hopefully this pelican can somehow manage to work the lure free from it’s body. But for now it seems to be able to fly and fish normally which is a good sign…
Phil Lanoue Photography 
Oh I hate to see the fishing lure on the beautiful pelican. Since you saw him flying and fishing alright maybe he’s treating it like an accessory? Let’s hope so.
I’m hoping it eventually works it’s way off the big guy. Sad to see though.
Hate to see them entangled with such stuff.
During the Christmas season, we have deer that get their antlers tangled with strands of lights. Long as it doesn’t impair their ability to eat and run, the Colorado Division of Wildlife doesn’t worry about such things since the antlers are shed.
We see it much more often then we would care too, especially with the ocean going birds.
Dislike seeing the inersecting of human activity and wildlife with this type of result. Usually it is the wildlife suffering the consequences. I hope the lure somehow works its way free. At least the pelican can still function. Let’s hope it stays that way.
It always seems to be the wildlife that gets the worst of it whenever people encroach to heavily on their natural areas.
Povere bestiole, corrono dei rischi seri in questa maniera. Spero che il pellicano sia sano e salvo!!
Ciao, Patrizia
Sì, speriamo che il pellicano sopravvive. Grazie Pat
It’s so much better to have piercings where you want them. Hopefully it survives.
Yes indeed, piercings should always be optional and voluntary.
Both of these images are crazy. What an amazing position his head is. And the lures, don’t even get me started on this conversation. I’ve seen too many birds out there permanently damaged from them.
Yes we see it way too often, especially on ocean going birds like this pelican and the cormorants.
Thanks for checking these out!
It’s so sad to see these things – but I do think this pelican has a chance. The lure looks like it’s caught in about the same place that researchers sometimes attach “patagial tags” to birds to mark them for study; the patagial tags are like earrings through the very front edge of the wing, basically, and they’re designed to not affect the bird’s health or behavior. If the lure works in the same way as a patagial tag, the pelican may be able to live with it just fine.
Hopefully our young pelican makes it OK, but it sure is sad to see for sure.
I hope this young pelican was be able to fly…
I did see the pelican fly and as you can see he is able to feed so hopefully the hook makes it’s way out.
Very sad—see similar occurrences far to often.
Yes it is sad and wish I never saw such things but unfortunately I do way too often.
Always sad to see that. It’s out of control here. Nice pictures though. Funny to see him stretching out.
Yes it’s sad to see and I guess this situation is worse by the ocean and wherever lots of people boat and fish.
He did get himself into an odd position though which was funny.
Really sad story.
Yes it is Jan, thank you for looking.
We humans have so much to answer for! Hope he copes ok.
We are hoping he ends up OK and that the hook finds it’s way out of the pelican’s wing.
Sadly, I’m sure I will see more of this as warmer weather approaches.
Sometimes it seems us humans are a plague on this planet. 😦
Sad but true.
This kind of thing is such an atrocity. I see this more and more at Cherry Creek and Chatfield…fishermen are exceptionally lazy about leaving their line and hooks strewn about. I’ve even caught my shoes on a couple hooks last year. It’s sad, the lack of respect for nature so many people have…if it isn’t the fishermen leaving dangerous hooks and line about, it’s people on jetskis violating no wake zones and plowing through flocks of rare birds, or governments destroying habitats for…who knows what purpose.
Many a day my wife and I have picked up carelessly discarded fishing gear off the beach to properly dispose of it.
The list of other rude, thoughtless behavior we witness is sadly far too long.
Oh poor thing Phil. 😦
Yes I do feel bad for the poor birds when I see this. 😦
How very sad to see this damage to his wing, Phil. It’s dreadful that some fishermen don’t stop to consider how harmful their negligence can be.
We often pick up discarded fish hooks and line off the beach here, it’s a shame it can’t be handled better but so it goes, we just keep on and do the best we can for all around us.