Fishing Pelican

I captured this American White Pelican catching a fish in the Arkansas River in Dardanelle last weekend.

Nicely done Isaac. Good catch for you and the pelican.

Nice capture Isaac.

great shot. I can't seem to get the pelicans here in Conway to do any pelican like activities like this. They just sit there. Wonderful shot, this is what I have been after for a couple weeks now.

Matt, the Arkansas River right below the Lake Dardanelle Dam can be a good spot for bird photography. Fish get stunned/injured/killed while being sucked through the dam, and birds are always ready to snatch them up. It can be a good spot to stop by while visiting Holla Bend (about 15 minutes away).

Last week pelicans, gulls, cormorants, and herons were catching fish right and left. Here's a shot of a Ring-billed Gull catching a small catfish.

A bit of Pelican doggerel to go with your fine photo:

A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill will hold more than his belican.
He can take in his beak
Food enough for a week,
But I’m damned if I see how the helican.

I really like this Isaac! Great action and well exposed shot. Congrats on having this one in the bag!

Wow, great action shots Isaac! How the heck does a gull swallow a catfish? Looks like the catfish's horns would be a little uncomfortable going down...ouch!

They have big mouths! Yeah, good exposure... I like it on the lighter side. Let's go back soon.

Good question, Bill - it's something I wondered myself. If the gull swallowed it head first it might be OK, but I'm not sure. Perhaps the gull will land somewhere and tear pieces off instead?

Great catch yourself, Isaac. The waves around the pelican, and the reflections, are a nice touch.

And if you get tired of the photos you can just enjoy the poetry. Nice guys.