the queen travels: Does Its Beak Hold More Than Its Belly Can?

We were beach walking again Saturday, March 25, because it’s something we enjoy doing … in fact, I certainly can’t get enough of it, and I even walk barefoot. I never walk barefoot … but seem to like it on the beach. However, walking around a place called The Entrance is pretty fascinating, too. Why? Well, people just seem happy when they’re around the water.

Young people just happy to sit and watch the water and the surfers.

There’s an old 100-plus-year-old red carousel here, and even a sticker on a truck that bears mentioning.

There are birds all over, with pelicans everywhere. But guess what … we even spotted two black swans. They didn’t really stick around, but they were there.

These are Australian pelicans, and there are a of them.

The web on their feet is set at an angle, unlike others I've seen.

Pelicans seem to be mostly what’s here and we spent time watching them. But a lighthouse calls. The Norah Head Lighthouse. We drove up to see it. It’s a beautiful thing, and stands proudly above a strange-looking rock formation. It was the last major colonial lighthouse constructed in New South Wales before ownership and control of Australian coastal lights was passed to the Commonwealth.

The Norah Head Light House was built during 1902-1903.

The rocks below the lighthouse look as though someone cut them into squares and set them carefully down along the beach.

The waves comes up over the rocks when the big ones crash up to them. You have to wait for the big one, though.

While there are lots of rocks, there is also some beautiful sand beach, too. However, we didn’t have as much time today to explore all of it as we would have liked. There was a pelican feeding to get to back at The Entrance.

At 3:30 p.m., every day there’s a pelican feeding. Employees bring fish for the birds, and a whole lot of them come into a semi-circle with a few rows of built-in concrete seating. The birds start lining up, and jockeying for position early, just like we did to make sure we got a good seat. We were in the front row and advised that the birds are large, and can get a bit rowdy when trying to get fish. We could get wet as they press against us, get hit with a wing. All the fun things a bird can do to you when it’s got other things on its mind. I was in.

They gathered in the water first, just beyond the concrete feeding and seating area.

There were a few of the pelicans that got a bit bully-ish as they were waiting, both in the water and up on the concrete. Here and there one would try to keep another from being in the circle and push it back into the water. There were quite a few gulls around, too, and a couple of folks were feeding them French fries, with the gulls hovering and taking them from their hands. Meanwhile, the pelicans continued to come, swimming around, getting up onto the concrete … although there were still a lot of them out on this little island in the middle of the water. We were told that those are the ones that are wilder and they usually don’t come over for the free meal.

Everyone's waiting, some a little more eagerly than others. They know the drill.

Then it was time. The gals were tossing fish … holding it up so the pelicans could see, and the birds would all be facing the same direction, like an army, standing at attention, waiting for their directions.

Okay, everyone. Look. Look. Look.

When the fish was tossed, there was a free-for-all as the birds made a play for the fish. There were beaks in the air, and a few skirmishes here and there. Birds were going every direction chasing the fish, they plowed into us, heavy birds without a care as they only had fish on their minds. Wings were slashing through the air. I caught one in the head and the face. It was wonderful, and so exciting to be in the midst of it all.

Their eyes don't look real, but more like something out of an animated movie. They look like plastic, but are a membrane that covers the eye and protects it when under water.

The gals had really good arms and could make a toss directly into one or the other bird’s beaks. It was something to see.

After the feeding was finished, we chatted with the gals and they wanted to know where we were from. Alaska. Hang around. I’d mentioned being a volunteer at Bird TLC. “Want to hold one?” What do you think; of course. So they said to wait around. We did. I’d never miss an opportunity like that.

That big old gal was just hanging out with me. Once the employees knew I was good, they totally let go of her beak and it was just her and me.

It was awesome to hold one of these big birds. This one is a female, and seemed fairly content to be in my arms. She didn’t fidget and maybe knew I was okay, and not harmful to her. Others gathered around asking if they could hold her. The Entrance employee said no, and I said I was with a bird organization and that’s why I was doing what I was doing.

She just looks like a big stuffed animal. Don't be fooled. I saw some of those beaks go around the necks of some of the other pelicans and their wings. It looked uncomfortable and the attacked moved away from the attacker.

But others wanted photos, so we became a part of someone else’s memories. I had a great time, and it was something so unexpected. Wow!!!