Injured birds at the St. Pete Pier.

Pelican with one foot missing was hanging around the St. Pete Pier.

I couldn't decide if he was trying to scratch with his leg or just waving at me.

The above great blue heron has fishing line wrapped around his leg. It looks like it's attached somewhere in his chest. It was pretty far away from me, hanging out on the dock posts at the St. Pete Pier and I never even saw the line until I got home and was cropping the pictures later that night. It was very skittish and would fly from post to post if someone walked close by where it was sitting. Eventually it flew off towards the airport near there. I went back the next morning to see if he was still hanging around the Pier. If I could find him I would have called the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary to see if they could help him. There was no sign of him. I did see the one footed pelican again. He must live there. I'm going to try and stop by again after work one day this week.

Fishing should be illegal from all piers, but that's just my opinion. Yes, I know, there's a reason it's called a fishing pier. But they should be called a bird watching pier instead. Although, if there was no fishing on piers then the birds wouldn't hang around them. I can't win.