Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Pelican

This morning, I am posting three more photos taken with the Nikon B700. Yesterday, 24 April 2018, I went for a morning walk in Carburn Park with a group of friends, hoping to see a few things to photograph. Late last night, I posted on Facebook about the huge issue I am having with this replacement camera, with images suddenly jumping upward, downward and to the side when I press the shutter button. I received a very helpful comment form someone, suggesting I try using the zoom lever on the side of the camera, instead of the zoom on the top. I had never used the side zoom on any camera that I have owned. As it was getting on for midnight, I only tried a series of shots indoors, but it seemed to work much better. Today, I will again have to do some more testing. It was great to see a group of American White Pelicans near the edge of the river. I don't know if this was the same group I saw recently, just at a different location. Somehow, even after years of seeing these spectacular birds in the city, I still find it strange. They just look so exotic. Not the best light to photograph them, but it was good to see that the whites were not blown out and the white feathers had plenty of detail. Our crazy, crazy weather! Yesterday, I believe the temperature got up to about 20C. Of course, I wouldn't dream of saying that I was too warm before the end of the walk, lol. Not after the dreadful winter we have just survived. Just checked the forecast and I see it says 21C, 23C and 26C for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I still have a large snowdrift in my backyard!

I went for a short afternoon walk by the Bow River on 18 April 2018, as I needed to check the Nikon B700 which I bought two weeks ago. I wanted to check how often the camera makes a loud "clunk" and pushes a photo that is in my viewfinder upwards, downwards or off to one side or the other, when I press the shutter button to take the photo. My guess would be that this happened with at least half the photos I tried to take, resulting in useless images. In the end, I simply gave up and went home. The reason I bought this camera was that I will need, very shortly, a camera with a powerful optical zoom (my old FZ200 only has 24x optical, whereas the B700 has 60x). I carefully avoided buying the Nikon P900 because I had seen so many very blurry, blown-out photos taken by other people, which totally turned me off. The Nikon P900 has 83 (?) times optical, which is far too much for a point-and-shoot. My Panasonic FZ1000 (with only 16x optical) is still somewhere "out there", after being sent off for repair on 21 December 2017, returned to me with exactly the same Playback problem, sent off again and they needed a spare part that was going to take at least 4 weeks to get, meaning I would not get the camera back in time for a trip. I told them to have it returned to me, unfixed, as I needed it sooner than that. This was told to them two weeks ago and I still have no camera. Am I fed up of cameras? Yes, I am!!!! That is two cameras I have bought that were faulty right from the start. These birds are so spectacular and it is always such a treat when they return to the city each spring. This group was on a band of snow in the middle of the Bow River on 18 April 2018. Though I composed this image with a lot more water showing at the bottom edge, it still worked OK. Actually, I think I like the colour, light and detail better than in a similar shot taken with my old FZ200. Love those windblown tufts of head feathers. "The American white pelican rivals the trumpeter swan, with a similar overall length, as the longest bird native to North America. Both very large and plump, it has an overall length of about 50–70 in (130–180 cm), courtesy of the huge beak which measures 11.3–15.2 in (290–390 mm) in males and 10.3–14.2 in (260–360 mm) in females. It has a wingspan of about 95–120 in (240–300 cm). The species also has the second largest average wingspan of any North American bird, after the California condor. This large wingspan allows the bird to easily use soaring flight for migration. The bill is huge and flat on the top, with a large throat sac below, and, in the breeding season, is vivid orange in color as are the iris, the bare skin around the eye, and the feet. In the breeding season, there is a laterally flattened "horn" on the upper bill, located about one-third the bill's length behind the tip. This is the only one of the eight species of pelican to have a bill "horn". The horn is shed after the birds have mated and laid their eggs. Outside the breeding season the bare parts become duller in color, with the naked facial skin yellow and the bill, pouch, and feet an orangy-flesh color. Apart from the difference in size, males and females look exactly alike. Immature birds have light grey plumage with darker brownish nape and remiges. Their bare parts are dull grey. Chicks are naked at first, then grow white down feathers all over, before moulting to the immature plumage." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_white_pelican

This photo was taken using my old FZ200, Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm. Posting my third photo today, taken with a Nikon B700 at Focal Length (35mm format) - 1440 mm., just for comparison. I went for a short walk by the Bow River yesterday afternoon, as I needed to check the Nikon B700 which I bought two weeks ago. I wanted to check how often the camera makes a loud "clunk" and pushes a photo that is in my viewfinder upwards, downwards or off to one side or the other, when I press the shutter button to take the photo. My guess would be that this happened with at least half the photos I tried to take, resulting in useless images. In the end, I simply gave up and went home. The reason I bought the Nikon camera was that I will very shortly need a camera with a powerful optical zoom (my old FZ200 only has 24x optical, whereas the B700 has 60x). I carefully avoided buying the Nikon P900 because I had seen so many very blurry, blown-out photos taken by other people, which totally turned me off. The Nikon P900 has 83 (?) times optical, which is far too much for a point-and-shoot. My Panasonic FZ1000 (with only 16x optical) is still somewhere "out there", after being sent off for repair on 21 December 2017, returned to me with exactly the same Playback problem, sent off again and they needed a spare part that was going to take at least 4 weeks to get, meaning I would not get the camera back in time for a trip. I told them to have it returned to me, unfixed, as I needed it sooner than that. This was told to them two weeks ago and I still have no camera. Am I fed up of cameras? Yes, I am!!!! That is two cameras I have bought that were faulty right from the start. Back to the store again today! These birds are so spectacular and it is always such a treat when they return to the city each spring. This group was on a band of snow in the middle of the Bow River yesterday. "The American white pelican rivals the trumpeter swan, with a similar overall length, as the longest bird native to North America. Both very large and plump, it has an overall length of about 50–70 in (130–180 cm), courtesy of the huge beak which measures 11.3–15.2 in (290–390 mm) in males and 10.3–14.2 in (260–360 mm) in females. It has a wingspan of about 95–120 in (240–300 cm). The species also has the second largest average wingspan of any North American bird, after the California condor. This large wingspan allows the bird to easily use soaring flight for migration. The bill is huge and flat on the top, with a large throat sac below, and, in the breeding season, is vivid orange in color as are the iris, the bare skin around the eye, and the feet. In the breeding season, there is a laterally flattened "horn" on the upper bill, located about one-third the bill's length behind the tip. This is the only one of the eight species of pelican to have a bill "horn". The horn is shed after the birds have mated and laid their eggs. Outside the breeding season the bare parts become duller in color, with the naked facial skin yellow and the bill, pouch, and feet an orangy-flesh color. Apart from the difference in size, males and females look exactly alike. Immature birds have light grey plumage with darker brownish nape and remiges. Their bare parts are dull grey. Chicks are naked at first, then grow white down feathers all over, before moulting to the immature plumage." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_white_pelican

Taken at Focal Length (35mm format) - 1440 mm. I went for a short walk by the Bow River yesterday afternoon, as I needed to check the Nikon B700 which I bought two weeks ago. I wanted to check how often the camera makes a loud "clunk" and pushes a photo that is in my viewfinder upwards, downwards or off to one side or the other, when I press the shutter button to take the photo. My guess would be that this happened with at least half the photos I tried to take, resulting in useless images. In the end, I simply gave up and went home. The reason I bought this camera was that I will need, very shortly, a camera with a powerful optical zoom (my old FZ200 only has 24x optical, whereas the B700 has 60x). I carefully avoided buying the Nikon P900 because I had seen so many very blurry, blown-out photos taken by other people, which totally turned me off. The Nikon P900 has 83 (?) times optical, which is far too much for a point-and-shoot. My Panasonic FZ1000 (with only 16x optical) is still somewhere "out there", after being sent off for repair on 21 December 2017, returned to me with exactly the same Playback problem, sent off again and they needed a spare part that was going to take at least 4 weeks to get, meaning I would not get the camera back in time for a trip. I told them to have it returned to me, unfixed, as I needed it sooner than that. This was told to them two weeks ago and I still have no camera. Am I fed up of cameras? Yes, I am!!!! That is two cameras I have bought that were faulty right from the start. Back to the store again today! These birds are so spectacular and it is always such a treat when they return to the city each spring. This group was on a band of snow in the middle of the Bow River yesterday. "The American white pelican rivals the trumpeter swan, with a similar overall length, as the longest bird native to North America. Both very large and plump, it has an overall length of about 50–70 in (130–180 cm), courtesy of the huge beak which measures 11.3–15.2 in (290–390 mm) in males and 10.3–14.2 in (260–360 mm) in females. It has a wingspan of about 95–120 in (240–300 cm). The species also has the second largest average wingspan of any North American bird, after the California condor. This large wingspan allows the bird to easily use soaring flight for migration. The bill is huge and flat on the top, with a large throat sac below, and, in the breeding season, is vivid orange in color as are the iris, the bare skin around the eye, and the feet. In the breeding season, there is a laterally flattened "horn" on the upper bill, located about one-third the bill's length behind the tip. This is the only one of the eight species of pelican to have a bill "horn". The horn is shed after the birds have mated and laid their eggs. Outside the breeding season the bare parts become duller in color, with the naked facial skin yellow and the bill, pouch, and feet an orangy-flesh color. Apart from the difference in size, males and females look exactly alike. Immature birds have light grey plumage with darker brownish nape and remiges. Their bare parts are dull grey. Chicks are naked at first, then grow white down feathers all over, before moulting to the immature plumage." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_white_pelican

Believe it or not, I had never seen a Brown Pelican before! We only get the American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) here. However, there were several of these beautiful birds hanging around the Blue Waters Inn, on the Island of Tobago, when we were there mid-March. Sometimes, they were flying or floating on the aquamarine water of Batteaux Bay, or else perched on a small, wooden, floating pier out in the bay. Our first day on Tobago was spent exploring around the hotel we were staying at, trying to recover form three flights in a row. "The Brown Pelican is a comically elegant bird with an oversized bill, sinuous neck, and big, dark body. They feed by plunge-diving from high up, using the force of impact to stun small fish before scooping them up. They are fairly common today—an excellent example of a species’ recovery from pesticide pollution that once placed them at the brink of extinction." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican/id Bear with me, everyone, as I think I am going to have to post 5 (I posted 6 the first two days) photos from my trip each day, otherwise it will take me many months (years?) to get them on to Flickr. Obviously, no comments expected, unless you happen to like one photo in particular. Actually, I am so disappointed with my photos - never have so many photos come out blurry, many totally blurry and no use at all. I'm not sure why, though the light was often really bad and maybe the humidity had some effect. For some species, I will be posting awful shots, just for the record. It will take me forever to do much of a write-up about this trip, but I hope to add an extra bit of information about each photo to the very simple, basic description. Right now, I'm not quite sure where I was and when, lol! We arrived back in Calgary on 21 March 2017, and I have to get myself somewhat organized and need to see to all sorts of important things. Instead, of course, I have been stuck in front of my computer all day, each day : ) Totally dead beat after such a busy time away, dealing with extremely early mornings and hot, humid weather. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a dreadful night-owl, so getting up around 5:15 am was an absolute killer. Also, heat and humidity don't agree with my body, so each trip out was quite exhausting. In the morning of 21 March, we had to get up around 2:00 am, as we had such an early flight (5 and a half hours) from Trinidad to Toronto - followed by a four-hour flight back to Calgary. On our very first day, we had three flights in a row, as we flew from Calgary to Toronto, then Toronto to Port of Spain on Trinidad, from where we had a short flight to the island of Tobago. This adventure was only the second holiday (or was it actually my third?) of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a one-week holiday with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going. Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together, spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could chose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with quite a few of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. The Asa Wright Nature Centre on the much larger island of Trinidad is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was just enough room for two vehicles to squeeze past each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road took just over an hour each way. I'm already missing the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing.

Believe it or not, I had never seen a Brown Pelican before! We only get the American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) here. However, there were several of these beautiful birds hanging around the Blue Waters Inn, on the Island of Tobago, when we were there mid-March. Sometimes, they were flying or floating on the aquamarine water of the Atlantic Ocean, or else perched on a small, wooden, floating platform out in the bay. "The Brown Pelican is a comically elegant bird with an oversized bill, sinuous neck, and big, dark body. They feed by plunge-diving from high up, using the force of impact to stun small fish before scooping them up. They are fairly common today—an excellent example of a species’ recovery from pesticide pollution that once placed them at the brink of extinction." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican/id Bear with me, everyone, as I think I am going to have to post 5 (I posted 6 the first two days) photos from my trip each day, otherwise it will take me many months (years?) to get them on to Flickr. Obviously, no comments expected, unless you happen to like one photo in particular. Actually, I am so disappointed with my photos - never have so many photos come out blurry, many totally blurry and no use at all. I'm not sure why, though the light was often really bad and maybe the humidity had some effect. For some species, I will be posting awful shots, just for the record. It will take me forever to do much of a write-up about this trip, but I hope to add an extra bit of information about each photo to the very simple, basic description. Right now, I'm not quite sure where I was and when, lol! We arrived back in Calgary in the evening of 21 March 2017, and I have to get myself somewhat organized and should see to all sorts of important things. Totally dead beat after such a busy time away, dealing with extremely early mornings and hot, humid weather. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a dreadful night-owl, so getting up around 5:15 am was an absolute killer. Also, heat and humidity don't agree with my body, so each trip out was quite exhausting. In the morning of 21 March, we had to get up around 2:00 am, as we had such an early flight (5 and a half hours) from Trinidad to Toronto - followed by a four-hour flight back to Calgary. On our very first day, we had three flights in a row, as we flew from Calgary to Toronto, then Toronto to Port of Spain on Trinidad, from where we had a short flight to the island of Tobago. This adventure was only the second holiday (or was it actually my third?) of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a one-week holiday with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going. Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together, spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could chose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with quite a few of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. The Asa Wright Nature Centre on the much larger island of Trinidad is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was just enough room for two vehicles to squeeze past each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road took just over an hour each way. I'm already missing the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing.

Before I forget again, if anyone happens to notice an incorrect ID for any of the photos I took on this trip, please do let me know! Everything was a lifer for me and I'd never even heard of most of the birds we saw. Believe it or not, I had never seen a Brown Pelican before! We only get the American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) here. However, there were several of these beautiful birds hanging around the Blue Waters Inn, on the Island of Tobago, when we were there mid-March. Sometimes, they were flying or floating on the aquamarine water of the Atlantic Ocean, or else perched on a small, wooden, floating pier out in the bay. I love the pattern of their wing feathers. "The Brown Pelican is a comically elegant bird with an oversized bill, sinuous neck, and big, dark body. They feed by plunge-diving from high up, using the force of impact to stun small fish before scooping them up. They are fairly common today—an excellent example of a species’ recovery from pesticide pollution that once placed them at the brink of extinction." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican/id Bear with me, everyone, as I think I am going to have to post 5 (I posted 6 the first two days) photos from my trip each day, otherwise it will take me many months (years?) to get them on to Flickr. Obviously, no comments expected, unless you happen to like one photo in particular. Actually, I am so disappointed with my photos - never have so many photos come out blurry, many totally blurry and no use at all. I'm not sure why, though the light was often really bad and maybe the humidity had some effect. For some species, I will be posting awful shots, just for the record. It will take me forever to do much of a write-up about this trip, but I hope to add an extra bit of information about each photo to the very simple, basic description. Right now, I'm not quite sure where I was and when, lol! We arrived back in Calgary three evenings ago, on 21 March 2017, and I have to get myself somewhat organized and see to all sorts of important things. Instead, of course, I have been stuck in front of my computer all day, each day : ) Totally dead beat after such a busy time away, dealing with extremely early mornings and hot, humid weather. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a dreadful night-owl, so getting up around 5:15 am was an absolute killer. Also, heat and humidity don't agree with my body, so each trip out was quite exhausting. In the morning of 21 March, we had to get up around 2:00 am, as we had such an early flight (5 and a half hours) from Trinidad to Toronto - followed by a four-hour flight back to Calgary. On our very first day, we had three flights in a row, as we flew from Calgary to Toronto, then Toronto to Port of Spain on Trinidad, from where we had a short flight to the island of Tobago. This adventure was only the second holiday (or was it actually my third?) of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a one-week holiday with my great friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going. Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together, spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - flights (we were so very lucky to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!), accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could chose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with quite a few of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. The Asa Wright Nature Centre on the much larger island of Trinidad is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up a mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a van/small bus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was just enough room for two vehicles to squeeze past each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road took just over an hour each way. I'm already missing the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing.

Took this photo at Mallard Point, Fish Creek Park, on 22 September 2015, during a three hour birding walk. When we reached the bridge over the river, we saw this group of American White Pelicans feeding. I had never seen them feeding in this way, but apparently they perform a synchronized effort to find fish. In this photo, tails and wings are all up and the heads are in the water. A few seconds later, every bird was upright and mostly turned in the same direction. Fascinating to watch. Unfortunately, they were very distant, so this is a fully zoomed and cropped image.

Yesterday, 2 September 2015, I made myself go on a birding walk with friends at Carburn Park. I tend to miss most of the birding and botany walks and I find it even harder to push myself out the front door when there are far fewer things to see and photograph as we head into fall. Glad I went yesterday, though, as I would have missed seeing this group of beautiful American White Pelicans, gathered on a gravel bar in the middle of the Bow River. I would also have missed a distant Merlin, perched near the top of a tall snag, and Ospreys flying high over the river - one was carrying a fish in its talons. A few Double-crested Cormorants were flying along the river or standing on a large tree trunk (?) in the river. Our temperature got down to 5C last night and it's only 12C just after 10:30 this morning. Rain is in the forecast for the next few days.

I have seen plenty of these beautiful, huge American White Pelicans in the wild, but this one was photographed at the Calgary Zoo this afternoon. I think they have beautiful eyes : ). This is the male and he and two females share a small pond. Interestingness#305 explore2008October19.

Though I have seen many American White Pelicans in the wild, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to photograph this one at the Medicine River Wildlife Centre the other day. We were lucky enough to spend the whole day there, botanizing and birding their forest and meadows. It is a great Centre, for injured and orphaned wildlife, rehabilitating and releasing whenever possible.

I've seen plenty of American White Pelicans in the wild, but these two happen to be at the Zoo, hanging out in their lovely outdoor "creek". Left the house at 6:45 this morning and got home an hour ago, at 10:00 p.m. (which including stopping on the way home to have supper). We were lucky enough to get the chance to go on a trip southeast of Calgary, to see the Majorville Medicine Wheel! The trip also was to search for birds on the way there and back. Our first-class leader today was Greg Wagner, who was able to show us all sorts of birds (some of them "firsts" for me and others). I am SO tired, I can barely type a word that makes sense, but will just quickly mention a Long-billed Curlew, Sprague's Pipit, Horned Lark, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ferruginous Hawk, Loggerhead Shrike, Vesper Sparrows, etc. Everything was far, far away and no good for photos, unfortunately. Many thanks for driving us all day, John - so much appreciated! www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/_toolbox/cnt_head.gif

About eight of these enormous American White Pelicans circled way, way overhead while we were botanizing the Western Sky Land Trust's Wheatland #1, formerly Jack Nodwell’s Property, 59 acres of land near Carseland, Alberta, yesterday afternoon. This area is about half an hour's drive south east of the city. It's so amazing to see Pelicans flying on a bright, sunny day. One moment they are dazzling white in the sun; next moment, when they turn, they almost vanish from sight. A zoomed and cropped image, LOL.

Oops, I should have added my description immediately before anyone looked and commented, to say that this was not taken in the wild! Although I see American White Pelicans in the wild in and around Calgary, this particular Pelican is one of three who live at the Calgary Zoo (this male and two females). They swim on a small pond and share the outdoor, wooded area with Deer, ducks and Wild Turkeys. Really a lovely little area for them.

There are three American White Pelicans at the Calgary Zoo, this male and two females. They swim on a small pond and share the outdoor, wooded area with Deer, ducks and Wild Turkeys. Really a lovely little area for them. I do see Pelicans in the wild, but often at a great distance, except for down near the Bow River Weir in the city.

To be honest, I really don't know what my little point-and-shoot is capable of when it comes to taking in-flight shots. All I know is that I don't usually bother to even try, as photos really don't turn out. However, I was just lucky with this shot of a gorgeous American White Pelican that just happened to fly overhead. I was sitting watching a Harris's Hawk do a flight training demonstration at the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre just over a week ago and caught sight of this guy.

This is the male American White Pelican who shares a pond at the Calgary Zoo with two female Pelicans. For some strange reason, I'm fascinated by their eyes, LOL!

One of the Pelicans at the Calgary Zoo. They never seem to be still when I'm there, feeding constantly on the little stream that runs through their enclosure. This is the male (you can see the remnants of the breeding "bump" on his upper bill) and there are two females with him. We do see Pelicans in the wild, too, but I believe there have been fewer of them this summer.