15th February 2008 : Pelicans Briefly...
Friday, February 15, 2008 at 06:23PM
Yesterday morning, I arose somewhat bleary eyed (as per usual) and wandered out onto our balcony overlooking the river. My attention was caught by some large white birds further upstream, which looked like Pelicans. Surely not? I reached for the binoculars, and sure enough, our river was being graced by the presence of three elegant Pink-backed Pelicans – certainly the first time I have seen them here – great excitement!
The Marabou Storks were on the beach too, making the most of a sunny morning to preen and soak up the rays…and the Spur-winged Plovers, true to form were trying to intimidate the Pelicans – without much joy, I might add. Our family of Egyptian Geese even flew overhead, but I’m not sure that the photo is all that clear.(You can see it in my Archive of February Bird Images here.
Drinking, washing or fishing?
Pelicans swimming in front of our house
As time went by, the Pelicans inched their way down river until they were right beneath the house. It was amusing to watch them with the two small crocodiles that were out on a sandbar, sunning themselves. I’m not sure who was more nervous of whom – certainly the crocodiles launched themselves into the water at great speed as the Pelicans approached. What the crocodiles perhaps hadn’t noticed was that the Pelicans were equally nervous of them and appeared almost to tiptoe across the sandbank, keeping a wary eye out for the now-submerged reptiles.
Pelicans with a small crocodile on a sandbank below the house...
Away goes the croc!
But the pelicans are not so sure of the croc, still lurking in the water to the right!
After a while, we watched the Pelicans take off and fly away down river, and within minutes, with the intruders gone, the two small crocodiles were back sunning themselves on the sandbank…
View more Pelican Pictures, plus Marabous and more in my February Birds Archive...
Tanya
My husband, Ian, just gave me these great shots of one of the Pelicans taking off...
Click on any of the images below to see a larger version
Reader Comments (8)
Very cool! Great story; and the photos are beautiful! That is just so awesome you live so close to all of this wildlife.
Nice to see you here again, Aya...and thanks as ever for the compliments! I agree, I am very lucky to be able to live amongst the wildlife...it's a very special feeling to be part of their world, and to see life continuing all around us, with no regard for us whatsoever - we're just part of the landscape!
What a spectacle. But I understand the crocodiles, those pelicans look huge.
The funny thing was, Manic, that the Pelicans looked equally nervous of the crocodiles...they didn't quite know what to make of them lurking just under the water and just out of reach!
I've really enjoyed looking around your website. You have a great life. I haven't visited Kenya but have been to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia, where my uncle has a fishing and game lodge.
I'll favourite your site and come back often.
Suzanne
Thank you Suzanne. Yes, we are very fortunate to live where we do. I hope you'll come and visit East Africa some day - between the two countries, Kenya and Tanzania have some truly spectacular scenery and wildlife on a scale perhaps not seen further south (like the mass wildebeest migration across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.)
Take care and look forward to seeing you back here...
Tanya
That's an amazing shot of the pelican with its beak pointing upwards! Wow!
I don't think I'd ever get anything done at all if I lived where you do - I'd be out with my camera all day, every day!
I have placed my desk far away from the window, Adele, otherwise I really would not do any work at all! It's tempting to just be outside all the time, as there is always something going on. The minute you turn your back, you miss something...
Thanks for the compliment about the pelican shot - I think it was due to luck more than anything else on my part!