I would first like to welcome everyone to August…or as I like to say “holy crap we are now less than two months from our annual Haunted Trail Event” (link here). Being behind is standard operating procedure when it comes to the haunt side of Intrigued, but thanks to my little mishap I am doubly under the gun. The good news is I saw the therapist today and I’ve apparently made impressive progress in getting the swelling out and my flexibility has jumped considerably. At Linda’s insistence, the race last Saturday and my return to the scene of the crime for an 8 mile trail run last night were both confessed. His response…”I had no doubt after our first session”. We are going to get along just fine (Linda rolls eyes). With that said, today’s therapy work did push my limits and now replicating Caine’s branding scene with a giant bag of ice (link here). Grasshopper no like putting ice on elbow. With the inevitable hand numbing, thought this would be a perfect time to go with a post I’ve been saving for just such a time – heavy on pictures, lighter on words.
Oh, almost forgot! We wanted to wish Jan (Brad’s wife) well on her St. Jude run that launched today. Her team is running from Memphis, TN to Peoria. IL to help raise money for that great organization. Last I heard she had finished her first leg and her next one comes before the sun comes up tomorrow morning – and you think I am the crazy runner ha. Watch out for those evil trees.
Hit the jump to “see” more about what has this Pelican’s tongue so to speak!
If you made it here, then you are lucky and do not have a “sympathy” stomach and start gagging when you see someone…eh, more like something else battling to keep food down. If you are that kind of person and just decided to tempt fate, well you are not going to like this next shot.
And definitely not going to like me zooming you right into splatter distance – “A wafer thin mint?” (link here).
I need to clarify a bit, it wasn’t so much that this Pelican was having problem keeping this fish down, rather an epic battle of trying to get it down in the first place. What made this so intriguing was I couldn’t figure out what was going on. At first it looked like this fish was putting up an amazing fight. For 10 minutes straight I sat there looking through The Beast trying to figure out what kind of Fish-Fu was able to fend off such an able adversary. Every time I thought the White Pelican had it swallowed, the damn thing would pry the bill apart and leap back out.
I had to see this play out, so took a seat on the nearby dock and started snapping away. After several minutes and a barrage of images on the digital card it came in close enough for me to get a better look at this fish to be reckoned with. To my absolutely amazement, this finned fighter I was so impressed with DIDN’T HAVE A HEAD. Looked around to make sure Allen Funt wasn’t hiding behind a nearby boat (link here).
Nope, this was not a prank…just your ordinary, everyday headless fish duking it out with by now a very pissed off Pelican. This went on for several more minutes until I started putting pieces together. To the right of me was a fish cleaning station that a pair of fisherman had just brought their catches to. The second those two anglers stepped on the boardwalk, the waters below them became filled with a horde of birds all yelling “Mine” – White Pelicans, Brown Pelicans, Gulls of every type, Terns and more. From time to time, they would throw out pieces of fish to the waiting mob. You can imagine the chaos that invoked. Apparently our featured Pelican had bitten off more than it could chew from an earlier cleaning. Maybe they use the wiggling of the live fish to help get it down the gullet and in this case there was nothing to help coerce it down. “How Bizarre, How Bizarre” (link here). And with that earworm..
“Every time I look around, its in my [throat]”
“It’s making me crazy (it’s making me crazy)
“Brother [Gull’s] in the back
“Sweet [Gull’s] in the front”
“TV news and [Bri’s] camera, there’s [Terns] in the sky”
“Every time I look around it’s in my face”
Ooh, baby it’s making me crazy”
“Making [gags] and starting [choking] before [he] knew [the Gulls] were gone”
As they say, you are going to have to sing it out loud now if you don’t want those Kiwis reverberating in your head all day hehehehe.
Needless to say I was absolutely mesmerized by this whole scene and continued to just sit there glancing back and forth between the initial specimen still struggling to swallow the fish filet and the battle royal going on in the waters below the fishermen.
Eventually noticed another White Pelican take notice of the struggling Pelican. If you have witnessed a squadron of Pelicans before, you already know how this plays out.
At first it starts out as a friendly “Hey how’s it going ol’ matey, what a pleasant day for a paddle”.
“Oh, you have a lovely catch there Peli, can I have a looksee,” (see what I did there, I crack myself up)
“Why that is a mighty fine catch, have you watched that Nemo show?”
“Remember that funny part when the Gulls all started saying ummm, what was it..hmmm… oh, I remember MINE!!!!!!”
Kudos to the Pelican with the fish, somehow it successfully fended off this “close talker” intrusion (link here). By now most of the water waders were congregated by the fish cleaning area, leaving our struggling Pelican a chance for some quiet time to try and figure out how to resolve this precarious situation.
I guess if you “Wanna know the rest, hey, buy the rights”. Ha, just kidding, I don’t really know how this all ended, there was plenty more to explore at Goose Island State Park in Rockport, TX and I had already spent close to two hours Sitting On the Dock of the Bay (link here).
Wildlife Intrigued 
What entertainment! But those anglers threw in the body? And kept the head? Hmmm I hear the sound of dragging knuckles!
I guess as birds swallow fish head first to keep the scales and fins ( sometimes equipped with spines) in the right direction so as not to snag the throat a headless fish won’t go down the right way.
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Yeah, that threw me for a loop as well – my only guess is it was an undesirable fish and they just filleted it for the Pelicans and toss it to them – beyond that.. I have absolutely no idea other that it’s bizarre ha. I am definitely subscribing to “flopping” assist from live fish vs just trying to slurp down a dead one. This is a part 2 to this story, but that just might bring more mystery. Though of you this weekend, Ruger was competing in a timed drag race of sorts – 100 yard dash ~91.5 meters. Was cruising just over 11 seconds for first three runs until his last run when he clocked a 10.5 seconds run. Will have to teach him how to smoke the tires before hitting the starting line next time ha. Take care, thanks for stopping by.
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Yep if those little paws are not getting enough traction off the start line he’s going to have to heat them up beforehand, could get into the 9’s! Think you should call him Usain 😁
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Ha, we were making jokes about renaming him Usain. He has a ways to go to break 9s – we had the opportunity to watch a number of different breeds take their runs and from what we could tell, the top of the speed breeds go to the Salukis – at least one of them came in around 8.6 and that dog looked like a blur. Didn’t get a chance to see any Greyhounds, but guessing they would be up there as well.
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Bizarre Pelican, for sure. Nice to read you are getting back on track to some extent. Lots of stuff to do. Jan is another crazy runner? Good for her. Wishing her the best of kicking butt for St. Jude.
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Tim, I’m not sure about the “crazy” part, but Jan is a runner. She also coached middle school runners on the cross country team. A couple of them run in the same St Jude fundraising events. Jan says thanks for the support.
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I really don’t think she’s crazy, but I used to be called crazy for spending 25 to 30 hours a week on a bicycling training for races. I rode 300 to 400 miles a week, and that barely got me into the standings.
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Phew! I don’t qualify as a “crazy” cyclist then. I only make 7-10 hours or 120 miles or so.
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That’s good enough to keep you sane and in shape. Road bike or mountain bike?
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Mountain, on pavement mostly. Seats are a bit more comfortable than road bikes. And a wider gear range for the hilly area where I live. Half my ride is uphill every day. 😀
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I pulled an old Schwinn 5-speed cruiser out of the infinite shed of doom. Turned the handlebars forward like bull horns, put a long seat post with a skinny racing saddle, and I’ve started riding the levees and ditch banks. Laurie would let me ride on the road with all the road-raging, distracted drivers we have out here. The cruiser is not a bad ride with the modifications, but it does beat the crap out of me on the rough parts of the ditch banks. Full suspension would be nice. I’ll probably end up buying a full suspension puddle jumper at some point.
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Do you have a photo of that beast?
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I do. Email me at elcheo@swcp.com and I’ll send you a photo of it.
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Done.
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Definitely getting there, although at the moment I will admit it is pretty sore – overdid it this weekend with a bit of birding and Ruger had his first 100 yard dash competition – holding him back at the starting line was a job best suited for two good elbows. More on that to come. Jan successfully completed her mission – definitely for a good cause!
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Dogging a hurt elbow would be painful. Congratulations to Jan.
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I tried explaining it to him how I needed him to be a little less rambunctious on the starting line so I could hold him easier…the look he gave me pretty much told me everything I needed to know. Not to mention this is the first time he has done the 100 yard dash so I was trying everything I could not to make a fool out of myself in front of all the other veterans. Very stressful ha.
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I can imagine the look you got. “¡No sabes nada estúpido!” I’m looking forward to the post about him kicking ass.
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You nailed it!
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Sent you a Halloween display update.
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I have to go hunt that down, I did just check my spam folder based on the previous comment, but it wasn’t in that load of 1500. Will definitely head back over to the inbox and see where it went.
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Maybe it got sent to dev null. I send another.
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We’re good now, as noted for some reason you went to a different letter.
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I posted the photo.
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Thanks for the shout-out for Jan. She did finish her second leg early this morning just before storms rolled through the area. Next 6-mile segment comes this evening. Luckily the temps are about 10-15 degrees cooler than normal for this event.
Brian, you are right, I almost asked for a bucket reading about the pelican and headless fish. Anyone nearby talking about pitching and tossing . . . pitching and tossing . . . ?
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Congrats to Jan for another successful run! Was upstate this weekend, but looks like we had a spell of bad weather which must have been annoying for the final trek into Peoria. Sorry about the bucket reaching.. I should have put a disclaimer ha.
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She is glad to have another M2P Run in the books. Time to recover and relax a bit.
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Yep, recharge the batteries and then start getting ready for next year!
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Jan replied from the road, “No trees, just road debris and roadkill. And a little soaked from the rain.”
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Great news – looks like the rain persisted from what I can tell – hoping she was able to hold her nose long enough to put some distance on the roadkill.
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The floaties and improvised rain ponchos helped. Though the shoes never really dried out in between segments.
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Next year take a boot drier, they work wonders when rotating shoes during an ultra.
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I’ll suggest it. Watch, now it doesn’t rain for the next several years.
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…but she will need it for the water crossings on the trail runs.
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Jan’s not ready for trail running. Hiking with a camera yes. Running them, not so much.
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In due time.
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Jan says don’t hold your breath. And if you do, watch out for box fans.
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Okay, that made me laugh. I here there is a new Trail Runners Association Governing Body rule that say no box fans allowed on the course.
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About time. Safety first!
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There’s safety and then there’s fast..Grasshopper must choose wisely.
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Brian, first of all, I am glad to hear that you are making progress in your recovery. I would also like to join you in wishing Brad’s wife Jan the best of luck in her run.
The photos of Pelicans are amazing! What a huge fish one of them caught! It’s just incredible!
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Jan says thank you. She has completed three of her five assigned 6-mile run segments on the way back to Peoria.
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Thank you Kaya, for the most part it is getting a little better every day. Definitely a case of eyes bigger than the pouch. Unfortunately, never had a chance to see if it ever got that thing down – if so, it probably wouldn’t need to eat again for a week ha. Appreciate you dropping in.
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We have watched this same scene unfold out in the marshes. Give the big guys credit, they never give up and somehow swallow the darn things. 🤣. In our marshes the gators are nearby and I always expect a NatGeo moment. Never happened. Great shots and story, enjoyed the article 👍.
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They actually get my credit, It;s eyes were definitely bigger than its ..well.. in this case throat, but you are right, it was definitely determined to get it down all while fending off all those freeloaders trying to take it away. Just make sure YOU are not in the NatGeo moment, those things give me the willies even though others keep telling me I am relatively safe unless I am walking one of the Poodles. Glad you enjoyed the post and hope your recovery is coming along well.
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Hilarious post! I hope the poor guy finally got it down. That was a lot of work for just a bite.
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Thank you Mike/Kellye, I will admit it was pretty fun to put together – may have outdone myself with pop culture references ha. This Pelican completely captivated me and pretty much lost track of time as I just sat there and watch it try to get that thing into its stomach. Couldn’t get that old cartoon about never giving up out of my head https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Studio-Bathroom-Living-Bedroom/dp/B0C2M93VCV/
As always, appreciate you taking the time to drop by.
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Man, what images!
Best wishes to Jan!
Keep off the feet for your arm to heal.
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Jan sends her thanks. This is her 15th year of running in the 465-mile relay running event.
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That is impressive! I really respect anyone who can still put the running shoes on and put in the miles. My days are over but still hold tons of respect for those who still can.
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Jan runs five 6-mile segments during the four day 24×7 relay run. She then takes a few days off to recover from the miles and lack of sleep.
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Very impressive, even 6 miles is more than most of anyone of a “certain age”. Keep up the good work Jan!
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Thank you CJ! Makes me wanna get over this damn injury so I can get back out in the field.
Now you know keeping off my feet isn’t my style…you better not be colluding with Linda ha.
Take care, hope all is well across the pond.
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You will never guess the ways us women can conspire to keep you guys in check!
Things have been a bit boring here, not complaining as there have been plenty of stuff on these shores happening. Here at TCJ we are trying our best to keep a low profile as of late.
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To Linda that has become an art form ha! I can definitely say I only have about one more week I can spare for healing – way too much to do with the fast approach Halloween event and only a week or so after that is the big 100K Ultra run. Tomorrow I see the doctor to see how it is going – fingers crossed everything has been healing nicely (may not tell him about all the running and other stuff I’ve been doing hehehehe).
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Amazing photography, Brian. An amusing story well told! Glad to hear that you are recovering!
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Thank you Cheryl. Definitely recovering, but as we all know, it never seems to go as fast as you want/need it to. Appreciate the kind words on the shots, One of those rare times in the bird photography world where you have a nice series of shots to choose from – most of time its whatever you can get in the burst as they fly by ha! Appreciate you coming by, looks like you are getting the homestead put back together.
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What a remarkable story and photos. I wonder if the photographer could relate to the tenacity of this bird (see comment above: “I had no doubt after our first session.”). 😊
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Thank you Tanja – one of those rainy day posts where I get to dive a little deeper into bird behavior.. not to mention let the creative writing juices take over ha. Hmmmm, there seems to some similarity there …although I have to admit, to this day I have never seen a bird run smack into a tree, so something tells me one species might actually be smarter than the other! Appreciate you coming buy…oh, and you might be surprised to learn a Limpkin showed up in upstate IL while we were at a dog show there – first time ever in that county and we were lucky enough to be hiking that place when it was discovered – place went absolutely crazy…I ended up calling my brother in Chicago to come over and get this lifer checked off his list. More to come on that for sure.
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We can all learn from other species! 😊
And I’m excited for you and your brother for the Limpkin sighting. It seems the Limpkins are fleeing Florida. I could make a political comment, but will bite my tongue. I hope the bird will be ok!
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Definitely! There was a report that it had flown off the next morning, but we just saw an alert that it was once again found at the original spot (by the same person who found it the first time who was out there counting Muskrats). Maybe it will stick around and invite some friends to drop by as well! It will probably want to take off before our winter sets in, especially if it has been hanging out in Florida or Texas up to this point – it may get cold from time to time there, but not like Midwest cold. Thanks for dropping in, if I managed to get something in the tin with Linda’s (lighter) camera I’ll probably get a post out of it. Take care!
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Good news on your recovery progress!
Best of luck and kudos to Jan.
Terrific series on the Pelican’s plight of what to do when your eyes are bigger than your stomach. (Been there, done that. Didn’t learn. Keep doing it.)
You have likely heard the old Pelican poem:
“A wonderful bird is the Pelican.
His beak can hold more than his belly can.
He can hold in his beak
Enough food for a week!
But I’ll be darned if I know how the hellican?”
― Dixon Lanier Merritt
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Thank you Wally, little by little I’m forcing it back into shape. I have never hear/read that poem before – absolutely fantastic!! You can bet I’ll be using hellican at some point in a future Pelican posts hehehehe. Your food scenario reminds me of my running scenario one one addition, been there, done that, went splat, didn’t learn, keep doing it. Appreciate you dropping in Wally, got back home this evening from dog show weekend and finally have some decent Internet access. So much to get caught up on. Take care.
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Thanks Wally
It was her 15th year running the 465-mile relay from Memphis. She’s glad to be home and to be able to rest a bit.
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When I see examples of just how large an object some beasts can swallow I am appalled at how easily I can choke on a piece of bagel. I think the champion for that behavior may be a snake but the pelican sure can put up a good fight in that competition.
Glad to hear that you are making progress, Brian. Just don’t get cocky. 🙂
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Linda is doing a good job of making me humble – every time I get too self assured, she thumps me on the back of the elbow and proclaims “take that tough guy”. Eventually get back off the ground and rethink whatever I was about to do. I have to admit, I have never seen a snake actually devour something. witness lots of scenes as they have caught their prey, but then they usually bolt away with whatever it is still dangling from their mouth. I’ll take your word for it though – hopefully will get to witness that in the field some day.
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Very interesting photos and observations (and appreciated the soundtrack, too!). Poor peli probably wore itself out with that challenge.
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Glad you like the “soundtrack” Sam – once that song gets in your ear you pretty much have to ride it out. The drivel my brain has collected over the years ha. I am guessing that Peli slept well, either from an eventual full tummy or the exhaustion of having to fight everything on the water to keep it. There is actually a second part to this series I hope to get to soon, although I will have to try and think up a good song theme… maybe Flock of Seagulls or Soft Cell hehehehe. Take care, sounds like you are on a fun birding trip.
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What a drama on the water! I wonder if that fish had a kind of scales that made it stick in place. Hope you are recovering well and taking it easy, Brian. Listen to Linda!
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It is quite possible, I am not up on my fish IDs and certainly not ones that do not have a head, but this may have had Velcro for scales ha. Things are coming along well, just not at the speed I want it to (as is usually the case with all of my injuries). I’m running again (with a brace when back on the trails) so that is making me muuuuuch happier and keeping the crazies at bay. As I say, I always “listen” to Linda..it’s the “acting on” that trips me up (pun intended hehehehe). As always, truly appreciate you taking the time to drop by.
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So strange, they don’t know how to eat a filet, only whole fish ;), great photos as well so we could watch it play out. I have done that as well, watching them waiting for the final result and then finally just leaving because there is more to see. 🙂
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I’m beginning to think the Pelicans are so used to wiggling food they are not used to something just laying in their pouch and haven’t developed the proper technique. Guessing all birders and others that just enjoy nature find the time just disappear while out in the field. I just have to remember to make it back for dinner or Linda gets upset ha. Thanks for dropping in Sandra, my apologies, but I am woefully behind on your posts (was also getting that stupid error when commenting again – thought I had that figured out).
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