747 Heavy (White Pelican)
Requiring an extra-long runway, an American White Pelican struggles to get airborne on Horsepen Bayou.
Unlike their more tolerant Brown Pelican kinfolk, American White Pelicans are overly suspicious and rarely give strangers benefit of the doubt. As soon as my kayak cleared a point and the foursome came into view, they abandoned their low perches and began crisscrossing the water, slowly angling away from me. Though they stopped briefly to pose with a Great Egret (previous post), as the light breeze pushed me in their direction, they fidgeted nervously and took flight while I was still some 40 yards distant. But contrary to their reputation for callousness, as a gesture of kindness they launched almost directly for my position, crossing my bow as they gained altitude and beelined south toward Galveston if not Cuba or beyond.
747 Heavy (White Pelican)
Requiring an extra-long runway, an American White Pelican struggles to get airborne on Horsepen Bayou.
Unlike their more tolerant Brown Pelican kinfolk, American White Pelicans are overly suspicious and rarely give strangers benefit of the doubt. As soon as my kayak cleared a point and the foursome came into view, they abandoned their low perches and began crisscrossing the water, slowly angling away from me. Though they stopped briefly to pose with a Great Egret (previous post), as the light breeze pushed me in their direction, they fidgeted nervously and took flight while I was still some 40 yards distant. But contrary to their reputation for callousness, as a gesture of kindness they launched almost directly for my position, crossing my bow as they gained altitude and beelined south toward Galveston if not Cuba or beyond.