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I crossed paths with this Brown Pelican at Charles Towne Landing in Charleston.
 
The Brown Pelican is one of the coast's most unforgettable characters - big, bold, and surprisingly graceful in the air. You will often spot them flying low in formation just above the waves, using the "cushion" of air near the water to glide effortlessly. The showstopper is the dramatic plunge - dive. With wings tucked and eyes locked on their target, they drop like a stone - splashing down and scooping up fish in their expandable throat pouch - tipping their bill to drain the water. They are right at home along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts - around beaches, inlets, and docks. They are equally wild seabirds and salty local. Once they were in serious trouble caused by pesticides such as DDT. Today, after conservation efforts, they have rebounded. Their comeback is a great coastal wildlife story.