Saturday, August 4, 2018

Papa Pelecanus..



During a break in the weather yesterday we had a walk around Herdsman Lake. With all the rain we have had this week the lake is full to overflowing making it impossible to get as close without wearing galoshes, which I wasn't. Up ahead through the trees around the lake the blurry shape of the biggest pelican I've ever seen. Seriously it was ginormous.. determined to get clearer shots I did end up with soggy shoes :)


 Not sure if these pics give a clear idea of his size, in fact I think the first blurry shot gives the best indication. When he finished preening and swam out onto the lake I did get a clearer image. A few facts, pelicans can live from 15 to 25 years in the wild, I'm guessing we're looking at an old fella here.. size of bill up to 50cm (20in) I would have said this beauty was longer! He was an impressive sight.. definitely worth the soggy shoes 😊 Happy Saturday, take care and stay safe..


30 comments:

  1. They look so ungainly, but I find them to be rather graceful.

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  2. I love pelicans, always find it so cute when I see them on lamp posts.

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  3. ...neat to see, I've only seen pictures!

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  4. He is a treasure, Grace! Worth the wet feet!

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  5. I like those birds thye are so big and strange. The fist one I ever saw was in Florida when one flew over the sea. I was stunned to see such a big bird coming over, looked like an aeroplane to me. I have now seen them only in the zoo. One is escaping twice, the wings have to be cut every 5 weeks but he managed to walk in the streets of Amsterdam! Isn't that cute? Clever bird!

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  6. That Pelican Was Smiling For Ya - Well Done

    Cheers

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  7. What a beauty Grace. Great photos!

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  8. A beautiful bird, I love seeing them. When I lived in southern Oregon, I always seen them flying around. In the town I lived, an artist created a bronze sculpture of a pelican and it was placed in an area that you would drive through when entering the city. It was a grand sight to see.

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  9. Oh my goodness, he may be an old fellow but he's just so handsome and cute at the same time! Your first opening photo, with the slightly hidden pelican is just beautiful!

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  10. Very beautiful. The Jimmy Durante of birds.

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  11. Wow, these shots were worth soggy shoes for sure. He is a big fellow. That last photo is stunning. I saw a lot of pelicans in California when I was there but they were all at a distance. I didn't get to see any up close like this.

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  12. That's one big pelican!! Sorry to hear about your shoes, but yes, worth it for these great photos!

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  13. They are strange looking birds, for sure. I once saw a pair with the beaks locked together, both trying to take possession of one fish. They were like that for a number of minutes.

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  14. Some amazing shot. I was down in san franisco on one docks and there was pelican there was quite the mooch.
    Coffee is on

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  15. Grace, that is one elegant looking pelican. Sorry to hear about your soggy shoes. I hate when that happens.

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  16. Thank you for your soggy shoes. I love seeing this guy. They ARE big birds and I don't think I've had the pleasure of seeing any so close.

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  17. Ha ha! "It's worth blanket shoes"
    A big pelican! I want to see it with my own eyes.
    Do I need long boots? :)

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  18. You´re a true hero, Grace :-)
    Once at Monkey Mia a pelican chased me, my, that bird was big!!!
    Ohhhh, that last shot!
    SO worth the soggy shoes, I´m tempted to bring rain boots ;-) xox

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  19. Que maravilha, belas fotografias.
    Um abraço e bom fim-de-semana apesar das altas temperaturas.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    Livros-Autografados

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  20. Gorgeous photos, Gracie. We often see them perched on the Freeway Lights when driving home from the grandies. I believe they had to be especially designed to take the weight of the huge birds... enjoyed this posting, very much.

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  21. Hello Grace,
    Very special shots of these pelicans.
    So great to see these kind of birds.

    Kind regards,
    Marco

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  22. What an amazing bird. It looks bigger than the pelicans around here.

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  23. Thay are fascinating birds and that last shot is superb. Cheers Diane

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  24. Pelicans to me are such comical birds and are so much fun to watch!!

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