Thursday, February 23, 2017

Florida Trip Part 2

Pelicans and Dolphins


The weather is warming up lately and it makes me think about our Florida trip.  On our last full day in Treasure Island, FL, I had my best beach walk ever.  The Brown Pelicans were very busy fishing along with the Ospreys and terns that I wrote about in one of my last posts.  This bird has a special spot in my heart.  The Brown Pelican was another one of the poster child for the effects of DDT and just like the Bald Eagle, they have recovered amazingly well.  

Then I noticed something, The pelicans seemed to be attracted to a certain area where I caught one glimpse of a dorsal fin and then another, and then another.  The Bottlenose Dolphins were fishing too.


I think there was about a half dozen dolphins hunting right off the beach.


The pelicans were using the dolphins to locate fish and round them up.  Then they would....


SPLASH DOWN!!!  It was really fun watching these two kinds of animals fish and indirectly work together to catch their breakfast.  Treasure Island beaches are one of the best spots to view Bottlenose Dolphins in Florida.  Who needs to take a boat tour when you get up early and get a little lucky walking the beaches?

Happy Birding! 

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