Brown Pelican (Pelicans Occidentalis), feeding near the shore of Willapa Bay.
Brown Pelicans frequent Willapa Bay late August through September. They feed near the water's edge, which can be a long way from shore depending on the tides. But as the tide comes in they get close enough to watch clearly. On a recent beautiful evening I sat at the edge of our wetland with my camera. I've seen them in flocks as large as 50 feeding or flying by, but on this occasion there were over a dozen circling, diving, swimming, and back up to circle again.
Of course, it gets a bit amusing when they begin their dive -- from a soaring position the flight slows, feet begin to dangle, and there is an almost imperceptible hovering followed by a few turns, including one just as they hit the water. Finally, the dive into the water and up -- almost always already having swallowed.
And as I was sitting there enjoying the light, a few Greater Yellowlegs flew in and landed just in front of me. They fed just off shore before gradually moving north along the bay's edge.
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)