White Pelicans Flying Over Anaho Island
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.
Three's a Crowd
Anaho Island
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.
The Pyramid
Happy Trails……..Sal
