Pelican colony at beach in Todos Santos

The oasis and old mission town of Todos Santos at the Pacific Coast in Baja California was off-the-beaten-path for a long time until a paved road was built in the 1980s to connect Todos Santos with La Paz. While human migration through and presence in the Todos Santos area is relatively recent, whale and bird migration is going on for a long time. The lagoon and bird sanctuary of Todos Santos is a resting and nesting stop for migrating birds. The picture shows a colony of brown pelicans at the beach between the lagoon and the ocean. Although this coastal bird species is named brown pelican, it often looks more grayish-brown. Two-weeks-old pelicans are covered with white down, turning darker while they get older.