Armed with a litany of medical supplies and SPF 70 sunscreen, the group, headed by Felicia Sanders of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, hopped aboard two skiffs for the 20 minute ride to the island. An almost Jurassic Park scene with a flurry of pelican and seabird activity over the island was a sight to behold.

Terry and Steve began by thoroughly examining each chick, then passing them along to Lisa and her team for weights and measurements. Kelly recorded data and photographed unusual findings, including oral plaques caused by a bacterial infection in some of the chick’s mouths. Following examination, each chick was deposited back in their home nest, but not without a little vocal protest. While many of the 20-30 day old chicks appeared thin, they were in good overall health with full bellies, thanks to care offered by both pelican parents.

Lisa and Terry will continue health assessments throughout the summer nesting season until the chicks reach the juvenile stage. (At that point, they are too large and aggressive to handle.) Lisa hopes to correlate the brown pelican chick health to the recent sanctuary designation of Crab Bank and has already seen positive results. Stay tuned for more information about the project and work at other rookery sites!