It’s no surprise that it’s tough to make a living out there in the wild but I was surprised to find this much stark evidence of it on the same morning.
A week ago today the American White Pelican on the left was feeding in a small group of its companions at Farmington Bay WMA. The poor bird had an obvious and apparently severe problem with its right eye that I suspect to be an injury. It kept its eye closed for the entire time I had it in my viewfinder. That closed eye stood out like a sore thumb in contrast to the nearly black eyes of the other pelicans.
I worry about this bird. While feeding in the daytime it’s thought that pelicans locate their prey visually and migration is coming up soon. Without the depth perception provided by binocular vision this pelican will be at a distinct disadvantage during both activities.
A short while later while I was photographing the Green Heron I posted yesterday this one-eared Long-tailed Weasel popped up near one of the boat ramps. Even though there were longer hairs around ‘his’ ear opening the missing ear was obvious.
Several times he ran up onto the boat ramp but he was so herky-jerky in his movements he was virtually impossible to keep in focus except for the very brief periods when he stood still.
Here I caught him at the very beginning of one of his incredibly quick sprints. It was the only time I got him reasonably sharp while he was on the move.
Typical of weasels he used the length of his sinuous body when he stood up vertically to provide a better look around the place. I guess this is the weasel version of a raptor hunting from an elevated perch.
I believe the weasel without one of its external ears will be fine but I have serious concerns about the one-eyed pelican.
Ron
PS – Speaking of “herky-jerky movements”. Can you imagine me with a long lens in my hand, a nearly rare Green Heron in front of me and a highly elusive weasel out in the open to my left? Both were close so I was terribly torn about which direction to aim my lens. I kept swinging it back and forth from one to the other and worrying about my camera settings for two very different subjects in distinctively different settings.
I felt like I was playing a game of Whac-A-Mole. And losing badly.
That is one handsome weasel. I caught a big white sturgeon years ago with only one good eye, the other was armor plated over and looked like he might have surface into a boat motor propeller.
Here’s to one-eyed critters that can see straighter than two-eyed humans, probably outwit ’em too.
Cheers
Dave, I identified with this pelican because recently I’ve been having ‘issues’ with my right eye too.
So yes, here’s to ‘one eyed critters’.
I, too, identify with the one-eyed critters. My right eye has been rendered useless by drusen; everything is a blur. Thus far, my left eye is pretty good, despite macular degeneration. At least a human with a handicap usually doesn’t find their survival severely threatened as an animal does.
IPad typo on my web site in my previous.
What a theme for today’s post. Amazing you noticed and photographed them on the same day.
Perhaps the Pelican’s nictitating membrane won’t retract for some reason? In which case maybe it can still see somewhat. I’ll hope for that.
Several years ago, while breaking for lunch on a hike, a Weasel (don’t know if long or short-tailed) popped out of the rocks we were sitting on. I threw it some nuts and fruit but didn’t read until later
Sorry, hit the post button to soon.
Later, I read that they are obligate carnivores. There were mice amongst the rocks, too. They probably ate the food, just before they became such for the weasel.
Lyle, I think you’re probably right about what became of the food. And possibly right about the mice.
Nature is neither kind nor gentle. I suspect that your Whac-A-Mole simile would amuse her.
I do hope that Dan is right. Which is the unashamed sentimentalist in me speaking.
Well, Dan is usually right so at least we have that going for us.
Such a good-looking weasel, even with the missing pinna. Especially like the last shot.
Hope the pelican will be OK — with a little help from his friends. 😉
And because it’s an ear worm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GooL7-iPMYI
He’ll NEED a little help from his friends, Marty. I can’t imagine migrating that far in relatively tight formation with only one eye. He’ll probably be constantly colliding with his buddies…
I think that the biggest concern for the pelican is if the eye is infected and that infection spreads, but that doesn’t look like the case here. Most birds have very little true binocular vision because the angle of vision from each eye has only a small degree of overlap with the other eye. While present, true stereo vision is limited and much less important to birds than to most mammals.Other cues become more important. I also have one eye so heavily damaged from chemo that its image is so degraded that depth perception is often not possible and I have learned to do fine. (In humans, if the images coming from each eye differs more than ~40% the brain can’t put them together as a single 3D image.) Watch a blackbird as it walks. Its head is fixed as the body moves forward, then the head snaps forward (giving the appearance of head-bobbing) but still looking in the same location momentarily. It may be seeing the world from two angles and getting cues about depth. (I have to be careful here because we don’t really know exactly what is going on and other explanations may provide a different answer.) So, I suspect that the pelican will manage just fine. Their feeding behavior drives fish together into a tight circle where several birds can easily grab them and binocular vision is of little use to a pelican flying at high altitude in migration.
I hope you’re right, Dan.
Great photos! The pelican will adapt. It might not live as long, life is just harder with one eye, but it will make it.
Whac-a-Mole, that is what my bike ride felt like last night, I was the mole, can’t believe I made it home in one piece. It is hard for all of us out there!
April, riding a bike in the city during rush hour isn’t my cup of tea.
I really like the last weasel picture. And feel sorry for the pelican.
So do I, Arwen. I suppose it could heal on its own but…
Looks to me like you won in both cases. Weasels are so fast! Pelicans are a bit easier. Nice shots of both.
Thanks, Nancy. Pelicans are a LOT easier.
Excellent series. Have never seen a weasel in the wild. Interesting to see two handicapped creatures the same morning. Handicapped animals and birds are like the Marines – they improvise and adapt. Thanks for sharing these.
I don’t see weasels very often either, Everett. And it’s even more unusual for me to photograph one.
WOW! Amazing captures of the weasel! 😀 Beautiful little assassin in his summer coat. Poor Pelican – suspect flying/landing/take-offs an issue for it also. You certainly did have your hands full with all the action! 😳
Thanks, Judy. I really did think of Whac-A-Mole in that situation.