That’s A Lot Of Pelicans! – Santa Barbara, CA
After the title I didn’t know what else to say. Here is an attempt. I woke up on a stormy morning at the beach in downtown Santa Barbara, CA. I walked out to the sand and observed thousands of pelicans just hanging out. Maybe they were brought in by the storm, or maybe they just had a killer beach party the night before – it is anyone’s guess! I have seen this several times with shore birds and sea gulls. I am curious to know if anyone else has seen this phenomenon. Sorry the photo is a bit gray, but like I said the weather and light were both pretty bad at the time.
Share and Enjoy
PhotoBotos thinks that these photos are related to today's photo:
Stern’s Wharf – Santa Barbara, CA
Dawn of Time – La Paz, MX
Building Wave – Central Coast, CA
Witches Rock – Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica
Merry Christmas! What I want under the tree! – Pismo Beach, CA
San Clemente Pier Sunset – San Clemente, CA
Day at the Beach – Beacon’s Beach – Encinitas, CA
How I wish I were in a sunny, car-free city right now! I'm going on spinrg break in my mind….
Loved the photo. I’ve never seen that many birds together at one time; it makes me think of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Birds”. Dun…dun…dun….
Keep smiling,
Yawatta
The pelicans have proliferated in recent years. Last April during a visit “home” we stood at La Jolla cove and counted a flock of 70 pelicans flying overheard. When I was growing up in San Diego in the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s, I don’t remember anything like that. Theory: banning the use of DDT brought the marine birds back? And maybe food for the harbor seals, too, since they weren’t there back then, either. A question for the marine mammologist in the family.
never seen a pelican hope to see one soon, they’re lively and colourful and territorial i presume and hence aggressive if u go near?
I love pelicans!!! This is AMAZING!!!! I thought I saw a lot of pelicans at Pompano Beach in Florida, but it was nothing like this!!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog and I’ll be sure to visit you often – you have fantastic photos!!!
The most pelicans I’ve seen at one time was about 30 gathered on a sandbar at low tide, just hanging around. Have never seen so many. Every year, when migrating south, the Sandhill Cranes will stop at a site in northern Indiana (Jasper-Polaski Fish & Wildlife Area). Went to see them in October. It wasn’t at the peak, but there were about 5-6000 of them. Truly amazing!
great shot brilliant stuff
Wow! It kind of makes me dizzy to look at them.
Great photo. They were having their afterparty.
Reblogged this on Ann Novek–With the Sky as the Ceiling and the Heart Outdoors.
Amazing capture!
Wow, never seen so many pelicans in one place!
OMG! I just saw the same thing on Monday around sunset, only of blackbirds. It was like a scene from The Birds!
The night before I watched a local news report that some one found a few blackbirds that were poisoned (in Uptown in Albuquerque.) Late afternoon on Monday I coincidentally had to go into Albuquerque and then to Uptown where I was astonished to see an entire vacant lot filled with them, just like the Pelicans in your photo. There wasn’t any mention about there being an overwhelming number in Uptown in the news report. Maybe this was the first time so many had gathered? Of course I didn’t have my camera with me, but returned the next eve. And of course they weren’t in the same place. A storm did pass thru Monday night so… ?
Anyhow, on Tuesday I spotted and followed another gathering, but this time they weren’t all gathered in one spot. They had moved to another mall and were spread out across the tree tops. So I drove around and took a few photos of the birds. Coincidentally, the song Blackbird by The Beatles was playing on the radio… so guess what Sunday’s post is about?
Very cool photo!
The wonders of nature are so awe inspiring … the picture looks perfect for the mood of this group! Thanks for sharing
Beach party! lol
That is some serious pelicans!
I had one land on my deck when I lived in Discovery Bay (bay area man-made water community). Very cool. They wrote about him in the paper the following day. Seems he was lost. My cat thought she’d died and gone to heaven, lunch on the lanai.
Here in Australia our Pelicans are black and white only… It’s interesting to see the colours of these..! Great shot.. Quote: I woke up on a stormy morning at the beach… end quote – I can’t help but wonder why?
FABULOUS picture – love the composition and Bokeh. Plus — it truly is an interesting phenomenon. I wish I knew the reasons but I don’t. But – I hate to admit this, but my first thought was — wow — I bet there is quite a ripe stench….! Pooping birdies all in one place might do this!
Many thanks for ‘liking’ ‘Frosty morning 3′. I enjoy your site and greatly appreciate you finding time to visit mine.
This makes me think of the cheesy horror movies where there are thousands of some normally peaceful animal killing people
Very impressive!!
Love your daily pictures! They’re great. I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger at http://wp.me/p25O5U-gj just to steer more traffic your way.
Awwww, like a little colony of them. Sweet, very sweet.
Susannah
great photo. i cannot imagine witnessing such a gathering…
Love the shot – it’s a convention!
Impressive! I have never seen such a gathering but of Santa Cruz I saw hundreds of pelicans flying South. It looked like they were migrating…probably heard about the Party in Santa Barbara.
You apologized for the grey. I think the soft colors are accented perfectly with the occasional red. Nice shot. Thanks.
…great shot! It reminds me of a ‘killer party’ I attended the night before the Super Bowl Parade one year in Pasadena. It was mostly outdoors with hundreds of other partying folks. When it was all said and done, everyone simply laid down on the street and slept! Some hours later we all woke up probably looking a lot like those penguin. Oh, the parade turned out to be killer too! One million people was the estimate!
Amazing shot!
Sweet mother…
L O V E!!! beautiful beyond words. So well composed
Talk about a traffic jam! That is an impressive shot. I have never seen so many birds bunched up like that.
Take any one of these and try to imagine what he/she is thinking!
That’s a lot of birds! I’ve seen this with geese and blackbirds, but never Pelicans. Beautiful picture.
Kat
Wow!
When I lived out west, I’d get excited by seeing one or two pelicans at a time. This is fantastic! They are beautiful birds.
That is amazing — looks like a convention!
Very-Peli-Can!
The fine photo reminds me of the United States’ House of Representatives when it’s in session.
Cool! We don’t see Pelicans in our neck of the woods. Thank you for sharing.
I can’t quite find the word to describe how terrific the picture is. And I think your idea about the party suits so well that you should make something like that the title! Each day, such a treat!
Cool…
Wonderful. I really look forward to your pictures each day.
Beautiful picture. Unbelievable number of birds
Do you think I’d be able to blend in if I wore a yellow bobble-hat?
OH MY! Was there any where to walk? I’m a little afraid of a lot of birds gathered together.
… What if one of them started a fight?
Very nice. A big croud over there