New Year's Day I was on the balcony with Denny and shot a series of photos worthy of the "food fight" scene in Animal House. If you like nature - and pelicans - you'll love this ...
It all started when a fisherman left a partially filleted fish on the side of the dock. The first seagull grabbed it, but the fish was so heavy it dropped him head first into the water.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfEcicd2enNu0Qi3zrCi4g4ZuxVveZL_WOzUVMlD9SarGMSCo3kM6Qiutxowql9qTySHJTkqZDQ_4jV59SiJq_pnHPHERV27rzbyTVSSlv62236anlKpJXqXlMwsUOfWTbeuph_5V_EQ/s400/010210_HowItBegan.jpg)
Here is the object of desire, surrounded by seagulls in flight.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hOTyRfJXZfeDkDavHyTwuKsfUSlmqBNBF_1NOx3i6rdY0h8t6ujGamp6NdGX78BnFlhO0MBctUGaJYq3fCz6ZYNQagRL5h6qFRFIb2gEqsAGMwVCofkuD-yoDiB9TSF5kwi5De4V8gg/s400/010210_WK_SeagullWings.jpg)
Another seagull makes an attempt before trouble arrives ...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyoHyE44MKto_RRo2J7tzeWLGgq_l45KjhNEIdRLnljZFnAqsln5y2ebdKKEJnK74-xwI5jHlcThBsvT64oz_jhEd8trgFwyNEZaCtJd95DIvcKDcUkwz91vFQ67FQBfX3g36ZsC4W8Y/s400/010210_WK_ObjectOfDesire.jpg)
Brown pelican chases the seagulls away. They're not happy - you can see the back seagull's mouth open.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNj7mnJkFGb4h7qnlY_aNquZggQbSvuKklvtAbjD5N27KYav8R4LbPcJBlrL1cNOWAlIn_KN2YSnLWc6MQ8QhuebAYEqKPY42s_g22BhkMbL04Qr-bOu0hS-XY5IE6r7ZQWteAGdPo7w8/s400/010210_WK_SeagullCall.jpg)
Check out the wake behind this big white pelican as he lands. I wish I could have gotten the shot with his feet extended as he hit the water.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwd3x6FqoJuzAGHRfFVPDaWuvxknh2vHLn7JKyA43HID905cVkJ4ZlqTlqOExNnDgY5DcpPhxsr9L4sO4A6ofFKqVYaMy7LjwfH9TMNtB7SVbORseBfIpepeKu0Ei7CoRzHejlLtlFffc/s400/010210_WK_TheWake.jpg)
Another brown pelican moving into position.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9lGJhXW5-3kTRY3DDCIM9GgEz-jKCk1pNTqcR_h_j194YFuAg2-_pLLUG3RU4E29r-eUrM_91Ly57222q1RMU-v88B4om5Ci1rrCMYGW5L5uF4L-d4JmoCoB5EwNdbHfBZGCScgrj7Q/s400/010210_WK_TakeOff.jpg)
He's got a bite of something in his "pouch" and the other is eyeing it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsJ6TVcT2FS2U7lKTFS1EAVbhzYHC9M0c-a76u5peDsIKlGamQe2uxh5TA9DKXMYhVeBiSojq7lOum7NcqJc8Sy0mpHLLosb4RJi8uMbfBQj6CN23tiNqC5BPqqyOjATZB5eyRegJD-Q/s400/010210_WK_HesGotMyFish.jpg)
"Give me that!" More participants arrive on scene.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPHwI2OpdTrZV42WBfxe1PiKIpFD73Cko9yShqs0tGvF72GZdJ_FHAoB2YsMUCET6hJ1Q5CGJnMI17o0Mtxnpd0_D_RihOA9IScSS-YEFo6btlecYB_CoDpIHm6-Kns0KaKPwkqUApjk/s400/010210_WK_GiveMeThat.jpg)
Lead white pelican has a piece of fish and is being pursued by the others!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyZLcD2Dl42q619FeTeC9h599nHQSEtB0l9VC31GbEUseB1JVYOVMtNSOM6R8LrxIAnnmUpxH6XU1i-LUIgUPYQH86QrMlfFhDR078ClL6nGbSSH8EneTtRcMg8_xGVYLXrs4rHZIrWM/s400/010210_WK_OpenWide.jpg)
Too late! Down the hatch.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJleZ8_BzTOx0I-oD7uzu9nsMSSeBRxmW0YE639QMQCHcjJOU4WBE3fOGCepqBACfIN7wGY51W6TAVVfAvdIOywtl9JbcfRvmLmK6cOt0gK5QKc4toeJ7oQT9m9YFT9DyaRrHD8pbQbJ4/s400/010210_WK_SwallowHard.jpg)
Meanwhile, back at the dock, a dual has broken out over the remaining pieces of fish.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw_WVYrO_W8MVeOqy5b9hYgFR6E8UyQ-dNxugKfsR7IDe6XhhobyFGGyA2ena2e1UkzFNaAavdMhkIpYAJ3AAod26sdb_KgddD8ghuyyUn0ACTdS3bo-oyLj-_h9hPgoN0d46rje94Qw/s400/010210_WK_ThatsMine.jpg)
"You won that battle, but not the war."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVzih7uDN2dHCGRHatLpYTSgSONqw_jNcfVirlhWcbYw0kfJDq5BNq-CAm8yUoBrHMnfgKmzAK-yzLgNQkxXba0uv8tkFmMPeFHCCcZfdGgRUG03IS535pJFEnydD1DdQ-j6qs5B5bvU/s400/010210_WK_ThePrize.jpg)
At it again - it's two against one with the hopeful seagull hovering overhead.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKaCp1_FIxGrIkInWD0nm386E0t77IL-LJKw4NVHYXn4dhtl8wrMPEE9SHa9kmrfv0IJTVBTqr1pabXuw4cddg_SXEx_4Iw_WB59h-8ecWSdMVq9edmZ7dpzTWwt8oyzxZTqYfViS4D4/s400/010210_WK_Duell.jpg)
This is getting ugly. The others stand back while the lead competitors tear the fish apart.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFiVw7eNiFPBOsTxvDDfN3G_tFHcK4aQrirhcCyXHcBH5n7kQ6jZWgx4yb5j1_OIKcnULJ-mv5y7y8Ij4nM_CyaH_sX1KPdLF-9N584yu6fguiR1eLKNojhwBlLNmC-0DYzpS74Hmw5E/s400/010210_WK_SplitTheFish.jpg)
"I've got mine!"
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3XOg5Ot9PanL74jCL8nCs_BlM8bM1Ttdx_pqqtCkoKuTrZ9S6WVn1TGK7Uo80-PFvfHqz6FF7VCQY-8EgM_pNHmwsi8C8YibHN_dmSRFVNoUwCD-e9SRZ8xAnpnMERiQvQwBLVwWUVk/s400/010210_WK_Escape.jpg)
Remaining contestants working on the last piece.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSiPgTitaC2z7lXWqupHPuDhJcUWyQ7H6UT-ZANQuW2vy5MPw6QoQ0ZVN555LVWdYuKS8r7Kve3VwhFyMjK6xAQozX_VMp6U5edhDGuXFItAmkb2PHS5NEZEbZvO0EkkROiqDoRxPx7s/s400/010210_WK_ShareNicely.jpg)
Oops ... down the hatch again!