Brass Bowl

I was strolling along Riverwalk by the Convention Center, and noticed a colony (?) of Brown Pelicans either in flight or sunning themselves on the detached boat slips.  The light was completely wrong with the sun shining almost directly into the lens.  I tried many different combinations, and took over thirty shots, and these are the best three.  Click on the last one to see a 1200 x 900 picture of the pair.

The Brown Pelican is the only pelican to dive for its food.  While it is draining the water out of its large extendable bill, seagulls often try to steal the fish inside.

Tampa and Brown Pelicans have a significant history together.  It was here that UT researchers discovered the adverse affects of DDT on the egg shells, which led to the ban of DDT nationwide.  The Brown Pelican is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which makes it unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill or sell Brown Pelicans. The statute does not discriminate between live or dead birds and also grants full protection to any bird parts including feathers, eggs and nests.