Watching and learning to predict behavior goes a long way in bird photography. I saw this Brown Pelican coming in low over the water and was sure he would skim by right in front of me.
Nope.
He pulled up and landed on a dock piling.
The Pelican’s big feet managed to hold on the piling cap, but he didn’t look too comfy.
The cap on the far cement piling is missing and made a great spot for a Brown Pelican to settle in for some sun.
The pilings with the white caps don’t look that inviting as perches but a second Brown Pelican made do, but had to stay standing.
Shem Creek, Mount Pleasant, SC
December 10, 2019
This morning was very calm on the creek and it turned out to be a beautiful last day of November. I was standing on a floating dock that is offset from the boardwalk giving a nice view towards Charleston Harbor.
It was hard to decide what to make level when processing this image and no matter what I chose something looked off.
Brown Pelicans are attracted to Shem Creek by the commercial fishing activity and are often seen cleaning up behind the boats as they clean their catch. Other times they drop into the creek and fish on their own.
Shem Creek also hosts a Kayak/Stand Up Paddleboard rental shop and a public boat ramp for those with their own equipment. This pair of paddlers wasn’t paying much attention to the Pelicans gliding by. I’m not sure how that would be possible.
Pelicans will land on anything and everything. Their sheer size (between 4 and 11 pounds) always makes them stand out. I liked this shot with the colorful hulls in the background.
Shem Creek – click image for larger viewTaken with my new 20mm lens, 3/24/2018.
Sony Alpha 6500, Sony 20mm F2.8
