Pelicans are another bird that seems to have made an amazing comeback. I can't remember seeing any of these birds when I was a child. Today the are everywhere you look. It is truly amazing to watch a bird of this size drop from the sky, crash into the water and sweep up a mouth full of fish.

"Pelicans nest on the ground or in trees and bushes. The male collects nesting materials but the female constructs the nest. Between March and May the female lays 2-4 white eggs. Both parents help incubate the eggs (with their feet!) and care for the young, which are completely dependent on their parents when they hatch. In the mid-1900s, the use of DDT severely reduced pelican populations, which nearly disappeared from North America. DDT caused the birds to lay eggs with thin shells that broke when the parents tried to incubate the eggs. Environmental regulations banning DDT have allowed pelicans to make a remarkable comeback. Today, Fisherman’s Island, a protected area at the tip of the Eastern Shore, has become an important breeding ground for these birds."

- Virginia Living Museum