The Pelican Whisperer

At least once a week, I see this woman show up at the fish market. She is looking for injured pelicans. Here's how her system works:

She always shows up with a bucket of small fish. The pelicans know her...they send out a pelican dispatch...and 100 pelicans come flying in. She draws the pelicans around her, looking for any of the birds that might be injured. When she spots a hurt one, she tosses a handful of fish the other way, and grabs the injured one...right by the beak. Look at her eyes...she's looking for the injured one. She then isolates the bird. The first one she captured...she took out a fishing line, but I think the second one had to be carted off in her car.

Fun to watch, and I admire her tenacity and dedication. She wears gloves and a jacket, because the birds are continually chomping on her. I've asked her before if she could use my help, but she always says no.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/124969130@N06/sets/72157650306857018/ click above to see my other shots of the afternoon. Some more of the lady, some flyers, and some selfie-takers. (It was a good day.)

I think the lucky guy with the highest beak caught all 3 fish.