The White Pelicans have this long slow glide figured out.
They are very particular on the direction they use to land. I have seen them make wide slow loops to be sure the wind was exactly what they wanted.
I’m sure the ones down below appreciate it.
Just sliding right into the group. No muss, no fuss.
Nice to see since at times things go awry last minute.
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An adult White Pelican has a wing span of 12 feet (3.6 meters).
That’s like a small plane !
To his credit he did veer off a bit during the final landing. Some don’t bother.
They’re not as big as the White Pelican they share the sand bars with, but compared to everyone else it’s not even close.
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One of the best locations I’ve had for a posed Pelican photograph.
This is one of a few (and last) of this bird with the storm clouds behind. I sure would like to be able to special order backgrounds like this.
No drama here. A scene I enjoy and love to photograph.
A bird that at times is incredibly ungainly becomes an acrobat in the air.
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As big as they are the While Pelican can land soft and slow. Especially when compared to the crashes of the Brown Pelicans.
Here a bird flew in to join a small flock in a Mangrove swamp.
I just learned even though these birds are found throughout the US they breed in less than 60 places.
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Pelican rookeries I have been around in South Carolina have all been low to the ground, sand, and smelled bad.
A Mangrove tree island is pretty, nice leaves and branches, and smells like the ocean. Much better.
Even the Brown Pelicans look like they cleaned up a little nicer.
