Where Have All the Pelicans Gone?

Two years ago I used to see large squadrons of pelicans flying along the south shore of Alameda (and thus south along the eastern shore of SF Bay) most morning I went out there. The pelicans congregate starting in late July through September, and I often saw waves of dozens and dozens of them, easily totaling 50 or more, and sometimes over one hundred.

This summer, I’ve hardly seen any.

Occasionally, I see a lone bird or two, fishing in the shallow harbor between the wall of riprap separating the old naval air station’s shoreline and the bay. Once this summer, getting on the boat for my commute home, I saw a squadron playing follow the leader by SF’s ferry building. They all soar together, until the leader begins flapping his/her wings and then all the followers flap, too, until the leader soars again, and the rest successively follow suit.  (I love watching this.) Must be a fishing technique, so they can follow the cue and plummet for tasty morsels.

Two years ago I still used my old Minolta film camera and wasted my money having them put pictures on disk for me–the resolution was terrible, but I took some pictures of the pelicans that summer. This will give you  an idea of the what I routinely saw, despite the awful quality of the photos.

At dawn one morning I found this flock in the harbor. Boaters launch nearby, which may startle them, so I got them as they took off.  I often saw flocks this size and many more, as successive squadrons flew by.

I read an article in the newspaper recently that said marine mammals which feed on krill, such as blue whales, are doing well off the coast of California, but species which feed on fish are not, indicating that the fish population may have dropped. Perhaps that’s why I’m seeing so few pelicans; I don’t know.

That same morning I found a harbor seal close to shore. In the background you can see the short dock where a half dozen or so often haul out for the night. Again, apologies for the lousy resolution, but here this fellow is, watching me–and doubtless watching the dogs, too.

(There’s something about seals’ heads and expressions that reminds me of the dogs.  Both species can watch with an expectant air.)

I’ve walked out there a few times with the new digital Canon we got last winter, but, of course, the pelicans aren’t here this summer. I’m hoping its just a normal, cyclical rise and fall in numbers, and we’ll get the squadrons back in the future. I walk the dogs just after dawn, southerly along the shore as the pups romp along, wherever their noses lead them, and the squadrons come up from behind me, soaring noiselessly past. It’s like religion without the shouting to have such big beautiful birds glide by with their tiny smiles, paying us no mind, and doubtless looking for the little fishes.

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