Miss Them Already: California Pelicans

We’re packing up for a move to the Northwest. It will be a year-plus endeavor — a relocation based on pragmatic considerations. I’ve been a Californian for the better part of 20 years, so the best way to embrace a transition across state lines is to see my future there as a photographic adventure. That part is undeniably alluring. Orcas come to mind.

In the meantime, as I’m busy packing boxes, injuring and hobbling my foot, losing car keys in wetlands, and generally making this move more difficult than it should be — I’m also sorting through and backing up my old photos. Many of the birds I’ve photographed here do migrate up the coast to where we’ll be, in Seattle.

For some animals, I’ll have to drive just a bit farther to grab some shots . . . like Brown Pelicans. So, my first farewell post to California is all about them. I customized my ATM card with one of my pelican-on-the-bay shots, to keep me visually tied to home.

These are some of my favorite Brown Pelican images, snapped over the past few years on San Francisco Bay.