I was finally able to connect with a few of our lumbering giants that visit the bayou during the winter months and a couple of them allowed me to get in close for some feeding shot. The tiny fish are not that large, but they are opportunistic feeders and can capture some rather large fish is they are available. This one was feeding near the boat barn on Armand Bayou. They were fishing in an area that was protected by the trees which meant that I could do more shooting than paddling. The Brown Pelicans are so much more accommodating than the White Pelicans. This is a mature Brown Pelican.

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Tags:   WanaM3 Texas Pasadena Clear Lake City Armand Bayou bayou feeding foraging nature wildlife outdoors nature photography animal fish bird Pelican Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis canoing paddling

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As I rounded the last of the horseshoe bends on Horsepen Bayou on my journey up the bayou, I came upon this young Brown Pelican who likely won the prize for the largest catch of the day. This particular catch is clearly visible, but there is no way to determine what is in that Pelicans pouch after he makes the catch. This one struggled to swallow this rather large fish. Brown Pelican foraging in the flats on Horsepen Bayou.

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Tags:   WanaM3 Texas Pasadena Clear Lake City Horsepen Bayou bayou outdoors wildlife nature nature photography canoeing paddling animal fish bird Pelican Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis

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This young Brown Pelican did have a bit of a tussle with that large fish and struggled for quite some time before he/she was able to make it disappear. I’m sure there was a bit of a learning curve associated with swallowing a fish that large, but he finally managed to get it taken care of as he paddled off into the distance. I was busy trying to point the canoe in the right direction when he finally managed to dispatch the catch. He definitely went to sleep that night without wanting for anything. Photo taken on Horsepen Bayou. No need to comment on both photos.

Also a footnote. That is and old tree branch buried in the mud at the bottom of the scene.

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Tags:   WanaM3 Texas Pasadena Clear Lake City Horsepen Bayou bayou outdoors nature wildlife canoeing paddling nature photography foraging feeding large catch animal bird Pelican Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis

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This young Brown Pelican did have a bit of a tussle with that large fish and struggled for quite some time before he/she was able to make it disappear. I’m sure there was a bit of a learning curve associated with swallowing a fish that large, but he finally managed to get it taken care of as he paddled off into the distance. I was busy trying to point the canoe in the right direction when he finally managed to dispatch the catch. He definitely went to sleep that night without wanting for anything. Photo taken on Horsepen Bayou. No need to comment on both photos.

Also a footnote. That is and old tree branch buried in the mud at the bottom of the scene.

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Tags:   WanaM3 Texas Pasadena Clear Lake City Horsepen Bayou bayou outdoors nature wildlife canoeing paddling nature photography foraging feeding large catch animal bird Pelican Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis

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This is what remains of an old tree that still stands in an open part of Armand Bayou. I always check to see that it’s still standing every trip I make to the bayou. Some day it will fall and be just another fond memory. The Brown Pelicans seem to enjoy perching on its branches when the visit during the winter months. One Brown Pelican resting while the other did a bit of preening as I drifted by their position.

It is still quite cold here and we were down to 18°F last night. Had a bit of snowfall in the area, but there was nothing spectacular about that and so you are not likely to see any photos. They are predicting an overnight low of 15 tonight and another dip to 24 on Thursday. As long as the waterpipes don’t freeze this evening, we’ll be fine. I suspect that many are wondering why we concern ourselves with a freeze that seems so insignificant, but the houses here are not designed for temperatures that low. The power gird can also be an issue. My brother who lives on the far side of Houston has been without since 8 pm yesterday, and still no power. We’ll see how things go this evening. Stay warm.

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Tags:   WanaM3 Texas Pasadena Clear Lake City Armand Bayou bayou tree tree trunk nature wildlife outdoors nature photography animal pelican Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis canoeing paddling branches preening

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