American White Pelican in breeding attire

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American White Pelican in breeding attire
American White Pelican in breeding attire2048×1380 251 KB

American White Pelican, (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, Ridgefield, Washington, USA

I rarely see pelicans very far inland, but a few years ago a flock passed through Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. I was fortunate to be there and get the chance to photograph them. I am not a practiced bird-in-flight photographer, but was able to pull a few shots off. The hump on the top of the beak indicates a male in breeding readiness. The hump falls off after breeding. No one’s quite sure why they grow and drop off…maybe to impress the females?

Specific Feedback Requested

Any comments appreciated. I know the sky is boring gray, but this is the Pacific Northwest…

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
Canon 1D IV, 500mm f/4 + 1.4 Teleconverter, 1/2000 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 400, handheld…

2 Likes
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Really nice flying shot! And interesting fact about the growth on the beak.

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Great catch – good sharpness and detail and a nice pose. The dull gray sky gave you good shadows so who could fault it? Breeding adaptations and behavior are often somewhere between strange and bizarre.

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Excellent flight shot of this Pelican, David. I still haven’t gotten a decent shot of one and I’ve never seen one at Ridgefield. Interesting that you ran across them in that location.

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Enjoyable wing and flight position. Superb job on the detail. Nicely framed!

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I like the diagonal presentation of the wings with the pelican placed perfectly in the frame. I manage to see them every Spring in Northwest Ohio, but they never come in very close for a great shot. Very nice indeed!..Jim