Left Behind…

This past weekend we saw a pelican come up with a huge fish in the salt marsh. The pelican struggled with the fish for a while but something didn’t look right to us, and apparently not to the pelican either.

The fish was barely moving, so it was likely close to dead, and the bird must have concluded something was wrong so it was best to not eat it. The pelican dropped the fish back into the water, where it kind of slowly just floated away, and the pelican took off to try to find another big dinner elsewhere.

22 thoughts on “Left Behind…”

Patrizia M. on February 24, 2015 at 7:21 pm said:

Scatti superlativi caro Phil, veramente bellissimi.
Ciao, Patrizia

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- Phil Lanoue on February 25, 2015 at 3:38 pm said:
  
  Grazie Pat Sono felice che ti piace queste foto!
  
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Linda on February 24, 2015 at 10:52 pm said:

They are so smart, beautiful shots, I love pelicans, they are great…Your photography is giving me ideas of moving back to Florida…”not kidding”, I miss the great wildlife they had there….and especially the pelicans…and, the weather!!!!….Thanks Phil, your pictures are great encouragement and motivation for my photography…

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- Phil Lanoue on February 25, 2015 at 3:40 pm said:
  
  I can clearly remember the day quite a few years ago when we lived up north and I was standing in my driveway shoveling snow (again) and I said to my neighbor “I have had it, I’m moving south.” The wildlife is just a bonus. 🙂
  
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foxleylady on February 25, 2015 at 6:55 am said:

What great pictures Phil! Far more intelligent than we ever give them credit for – this bird obviously sensed something wrong with the fish.

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- Phil Lanoue on February 25, 2015 at 3:42 pm said:
  
  It’s funny though how some birds have higher standards than others. Some won’t go near a dead or dying fish, and others will gobble it down without a second thought. This holds true even among the same species. It would not surprise me if a different pelican came in and found and ate the same fish later.
  
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donna213 on February 25, 2015 at 8:28 am said:

So nice Phil. The pelican is beautiful!

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- Phil Lanoue on February 25, 2015 at 3:42 pm said:
  
  They are especially fun to watch when they are extremely active. 🙂
  
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Rolling Harbour on February 25, 2015 at 9:30 am said:

Great sequence! RH

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- Phil Lanoue on February 25, 2015 at 3:43 pm said:
  
  I’m glad you enjoyed these, thank you!
  
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anotherday2paradise on February 25, 2015 at 10:14 am said:

Amazing photos, Phil. That fish is HUGE, and would have made a great dinner for Mr. P, but he obviously thought here was something fishy about it. 😀

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- Phil Lanoue on February 25, 2015 at 3:44 pm said:
  
  Something fishy indeed! But if I know these birds, one of his less discerning friends will come by later and gobble this same fish right down. 🙂
  
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Amy on February 25, 2015 at 1:33 pm said:

Wow!!!!

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- Phil Lanoue on February 25, 2015 at 3:44 pm said:
  
  Thanks so much for looking Amy!
  
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Raewyn's Photos on February 25, 2015 at 2:40 pm said:

Great captures. That fish was huge. But it was interesting to see how a bird knows when something was wrong with the fish.

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- Phil Lanoue on February 25, 2015 at 3:45 pm said:
  
  Thank you. The funny thing is though how some birds won’t touch a fish they feel suspicious about, while others will eat just about anything. Maybe it depends on how hungry they are. 🙂
  
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  - Raewyn's Photos on February 25, 2015 at 3:46 pm said:
    
    True
    
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The Lite Rider on February 25, 2015 at 5:14 pm said:

Whoa! That is quite a capture! I bet Mr. Pelican could sense there was something wrong with his dinner prospect. What an interesting shot. 🙂

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- Phil Lanoue on March 1, 2015 at 2:42 pm said:
  
  Some birds like pelicans, herons, and egrets will immediately drop any fish they don’t feel right about, while other times they will carry it around and think about it for a while. Sometimes we get birds that will gulp down anything they find without a second thought. Funny.
  
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Pat on February 25, 2015 at 5:41 pm said:

Great shots. I love watching these awesome birds.

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- Phil Lanoue on March 1, 2015 at 2:42 pm said:
  
  Thanks very much, I get a kick out of these big guys as well.
  
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timali on March 3, 2015 at 10:13 am said:

awesome captures! 🙂

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