When it comes to pelicans, I usually pay much more attention to migratory American White Pelicans. Brown Pelicans are here all the time, so I rarely bother to photograph them unless I see something special.
And that’s what happened on a February trip to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. I came across a couple of Brown Pelicans fighting over a fish that seemed way too big for either to handle.
It took a lot of time and a lot of attempts, but one of the Brown Pelicans finally managed to swallow the fish.
But they weren’t the only birds I photographed that day.
Brown Pelican, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Brown Pelican, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Brown Pelican, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Brown Pelican, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Brown Pelican, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Forster’s Tern, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Forster’s Tern, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Forster’s Tern, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Wilson’s Snipe, Brown Pelican, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Wilson’s Snipe, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Wilson’s Snipe, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Juvenile White Ibis, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Glossy Ibis, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Female Hooded Mergansers and Bonaparte’s Gull, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.Bald Eagle and eaglet, Brown Pelican, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, February 2026.
Between clouds and rain showers, I was able to visit my three go-to spots for birding – Orlando Wetlands, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive – in the first two weeks of January.
