Anaho Island is a wildlife refuge in Pyramid Lake, Nevada. It is home to one of the two largest colonies of American White Pelicans in the Wesstern United States. I woke up at 5:30 to head for Pyramid Lake to capture pics of the White Pelican migration. It was a sunny morning with a slight wind that put a chill in the air. I parked just south of where the Truckee River meets Pyramid Lake and hiked about a quarter mile in through sage and muck. I set up my tripod and started clicking. They were flying overhead and making wonderful flight patterns low to the water.
- White Pelicans Waiting for the Elusive Cui Cui Fish
The Pelicans main staple food is the Cui Cui fish. A sucker fish that can live up to 40 years. It is an endemic species to Pyramid Lake, which means it is a species that is only found in a particular region and nowhere else in the world.
- Pelicans in Flight
The infamous Pyramid is in the background. I used a Cannon EOS 1 Ds Mark 2 with a 400 mm telephoto lens borrowed from my friend Mark to get most of my shots of the Pelicans. There were hundreds of them sitting on small islands created by a low water level. Thanks to Mark, I got this great shot of them taking off while he was hiking in to get a little closer.
- Flying High
White Pelicans wing span can be anywhere from 6 to 10 feet. This particular Pelican has what they call a breeding bump on their beak, but unfortunatly I did not get close enough to get a shot of it. In the photo below, you can almost see the bump on their beaks.
Pyramid Lake surrounds the Island of Anaho. The white patches are pelicans hanging out on the Island. I took this photo north of the Truckee River inlet, near the Pyramid on the Lake Range side.
Happy Trails……..Sal