Pelicans Soaring Along Cliffs After the Storm, Winter 2022/2023, Part VII

By January 4, 2023January 30th, 2023Pelicans of La Jolla, Seabird

I’m shooting the La Jolla pelicans often this winter; see recent blog posts about La Jolla Pelicans as well as a gallery of my favorite brown pelican photos.

Our stretch of near-perfect weather for bird photography came to an abrupt end around New Years, with the arrival of a projected week-long series of rain-fronts that are passing through.  I have been generating so many nice images of birds flying, preening, head-throwing and generally being birds that I could stop for the winter and still be satisfied. Nevertheless,  I had all three mornings of the New Year’s weekend free and decided to continue photographing the birds. In seeking out uncomfortable situations when one’s first inclination is to stop, one tries to generate new or unexpected results. Occasionally that mindset works, often it is a waste of time. When I looked out the window at 6am on Saturday, the less-than-ideal light and wet, gusty conditions that followed the first of the storm fronts did not look good for photography but it was at least different than the preceding 10 perfect mornings, and that meant I might find a composition or look I had not captured before.  Much of what I photographed over the weekend was severely side-lit or back-lit, lighting angles I normally avoid. But it was all that nature offered. Most importantly, the storm left gusty westerly winds and big waves in its wake. Westerlies are unusual for La Jolla in the morning. In addition the big waves would force the birds to congregate higher up on the cliffs. I knew this would yield lots of birds in the air but was not 100% sure of what it would look like. In fact, what I found all weekend were dozens, and at times hundreds, of pelicans soaring along the seacliffs above the caves. They rode the updrafts, gliding over the caves and crashing waves, looking for a spot on the cliffs to land and rest.  If they were unsuccessful, their glide path would arrive at Goldfish Point where they might choose to parachute down in the high winds and land. Barring that, they would inevitably wheel back around to the Marine Room beach and try the entire approach anew.  I spent a lot of time over multiple days trying to make photographs of them along the cliffs. It is not easy and most of the images I made were awful. There is a very narrow view angle in which the birds are alongside the cliff. Furthermore, since the view is toward to thewest, the morning light alternated between the extremes of harsh and extremely backlit on one hand and flat and dark on the other.  I shot many images, and discarded over 99.9% of them. Below are some I kept. At one point I put Superfly the flying camera in the air and managed to capture some interesting images of waves breaking against the rocks. I will be trying more of that in the future, it seems to have potential.  Cheers, and thanks for looking!

Brown Pelicans Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus

Brown Pelicans Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions.
Image ID: 38869
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California

Brown Pelicans on Goldfish Point in La Jolla, time exposure blurs the large waves, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus

Brown Pelicans on Goldfish Point in La Jolla, time exposure blurs the large waves.
Image ID: 38865
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California

Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Cliffs in Background, partially side lit at sunrise, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla, California

Brown Pelican Head Throw with Distant Cliffs in Background, partially side lit at sunrise.
Image ID: 38866
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California

Brown Pelican Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus

Brown Pelican Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions.
Image ID: 38871
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California

Brown Pelican Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus

Brown Pelican Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions.
Image ID: 38868
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California

Brown Pelican Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus

Brown Pelican Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions.
Image ID: 38872
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California

Brown Pelicans Flying En Masse Over Goldfish Point. Flushed by a large breaking wave, the enormous group of pelicans all take to the air at once. Backlit by early morning light during stormy conditions, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla, California

Brown Pelicans Flying En Masse Over Goldfish Point. Flushed by a large breaking wave, the enormous group of pelicans all take to the air at once. Backlit by early morning light during stormy conditions.
Image ID: 38870
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California

Brown pelican nictitating membrane, a translucent membrane that forms an inner eyelid in birds, reptiles, and some mammals. It can be drawn across the eye to protect it while diving in the ocean, from sand and dust and keep it moist, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus, La Jolla, California

Brown pelican nictitating membrane, a translucent membrane that forms an inner eyelid in birds, reptiles, and some mammals. It can be drawn across the eye to protect it while diving in the ocean, from sand and dust and keep it moist.
Image ID: 38873
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California

Brown Pelicans Landing on Goldfish Point in La Jolla. Pelicans parachute into the rock on gusty winds, looking for a place to land on the crowded rocky outcropping. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus

Brown Pelicans Landing on Goldfish Point in La Jolla. Pelicans parachute into the rock on gusty winds, looking for a place to land on the crowded rocky outcropping. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions.
Image ID: 38876
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California

Brown Pelicans Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus

Brown Pelicans Flying Along Sheer Ocean Cliffs, rare westerly winds associated with a storm allow pelicans to glide along La Jolla's cliffs as they approach shelves and outcroppings on which to land. Backlit by rising sun during stormy conditions.
Image ID: 38867
Species: Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, Pelecanus occidentalis californicus
Location: La Jolla, California

About Phil Colla

I am a natural history photographer. I enjoy making compelling images in the ocean, on land, and in the air. I have maintained the Natural History Photography blog since 2005 and my searchable Natural History Photography Library since 1997. Here are some tear sheets and behind the scenes views. Thanks for looking!