Monday, April 27, 2009

Pelicans

I enjoy watching and photographing pelicans - as I am sure I have said before! They are so big and ponderous and ungainly and dignified - all at once. Whenever I watch them I end up laughing at some of them. When I look into their big eyes I wonder what they are thinking of me - possibly what a nuisance I am for coming so close! These are Australian Pelicans (Pelicanus conspicillatus).

For great bird photos visit the Bird Photography Weekly.

17 comments:

  1. Lovely series of photos. Strange legs they have - seem thin in one direction, wide in another.
    You certainly have a good variety of bird life along the sands there.

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  2. Thanks John, they're fun birds to watch, and quite easy to get close to.

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  3. As much as ou enjoy watching and photographing them, we enjoy seeing your photos! Really nice!

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  4. You nailed it right, Mick! They can be huge but there is a certain kind of grace in them when they swim or when they soar with those great wingspans. Lovely photos, too!

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  5. Thanks Christopher, I'm glad you enjoyed the birds too.

    Hi Bob and Cynthia, you're right about them swimming and flying - must try for some photos of that next time :-)

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  6. Pelicans are fascinating to watch. We get white pelicans migrating through here in large flocks, but they always seem to be hundreds of yards away from my camera, and hard to photograph as a result.

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  7. G'day Mick,
    Nice series of photos. Caught their characteristics beautifully. How about that contortionist in the second last shot?
    Regards,
    Gouldiae

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  8. Hi Penelope they certainly are fun birds to photograph up close.

    Hi Gouldiae Its the same bird as in the previous shot where it is stretching with its beak open. So I don't know what happened in the intervening seconds!

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  9. I love this series Mick!

    I love to photograph Pelicans also. None here in Maine, but when I travel, I seek them out.

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  10. Gorgeous captures of the Pelicans Mick! I really like the last shot of the 3 amigos!

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  11. Thanks for commenting BirdingMaine and Larry.

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  12. Great photos of great birds, Mick!
    Many times they look somehow artificial to me, or surreal is probably a more appropriate word :)

    Finally, I have a couple of evenings for just reading blogs! Now, let's see what I have missed in the past two months...

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  13. Thanks Tilcheff - they pose like no other bird IMO

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  14. I have to agree, pelikans are great fun to watch. Such a shame we don't have them here in NL.

    When we were in Oz, we would watch them hanging out with the fishermen.

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  15. Amazing shots Mick of a fascinating bird. The third shot with the sun shining through its "pouch" is really eye-catching.

    How lovely to have them on your doorstep.

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  16. These are awesome photos. Such characters with beautiful plumage. I especially like the
    3rd and 4th images.

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  17. Thanks for commenting Gwendolen Tricia and Vickie

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