![\"american](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/american-white-pelican-9235-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAmerican White Pelicans are known for their conspicuous black and white coloration, cooperative foraging techniques and large body size. But what I\u00a0enjoy most about them is the contrast between\u00a0the goofy, almost comical proportions of their huge bill and pouch and their graceful, choreographed flight patterns when flying in\u00a0flocks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc,\u00a0not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n Three days ago at Bear River MBR I photographed this pelican in\u00a0somewhat unusual lighting conditions.\u00a0The mostly bright white bird was\u00a0lit up by the morning sun but the Promontory Mountains in the background were in deep shade. The bird is small in the frame but in this case I like it that way because it allows for more of those moody, dark mountains in the background. In this light and with this dark background the pelican seemed to positively glow, almost like it was fluorescent. Literally.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, canvas added for composition,\u00a0not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n But I was also able to get some frame-filling shots of pelicans in flight\u00a0that morning. In these two sequential images I got wings down…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, canvas added for composition,\u00a0not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n and wings up.<\/p>\n When I was a kid growing up on Montana in the 50’s and early 60’s\u00a0I never<\/em> saw pelicans.\u00a0By then human disturbance, changing water levels and contaminants had reduced their numbers to\u00a0threatened status. But since the early 60’s their numbers have rebounded and these days I see significant numbers of pelicans every time I return to my Montana stomping grounds – especially along the Missouri River but elsewhere too.<\/p>\n And huge numbers of pelicans breed on islands in the Great Salt Lake near where I now live. American White Pelicans are a real (and rare) avian\u00a0success story and their numbers continue to increase at greater than 3%\/year, to the point that they have created conflicts with the aquaculture industry in the Southeastern U. S, especially during spring migration.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ok, a change of pace to end this post.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc<\/strong><\/p>\n Yesterday on my way home from Antelope Island I stopped by Farmington Bay WMA just to check out the bird situation. Birds were slow but I photographed a couple of other interesting subjects on Glover\u00a0Pond\u00a0including this beautiful dragonfly seeking shelter from the wind in a protected area of cattails.<\/p>\n Dragonflies are classified in suborder Anisoptera of order Odonata. Anisoptera means “uneven wing” which refers to the fact that in dragonflies the hindwings\u00a0are broader (wider) than the forewings and that characteristic is clearly demonstrated here. I always find little factoids like that interesting.<\/p>\n Does anyone know what species this is? I\u00a0haven’t a clue…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1250, f\/9, ISO 640, Canon 7D,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc<\/strong><\/p>\n And Kermit was just below where the dragonfly was perched. Whenever I get a good, detailed look at a frog I’m always fascinated by their interesting eyes and tympanic membranes so I couldn’t resist including this photo.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n Note: Photographers will likely wonder what the heck I was thinking to be using such high shutter speeds for most of these shots. Lighting was so variable that morning that I was missing shots\u00a0when I took the time to choose appropriate camera settings for the situation so in the end I just stopped worrying about it very much\u00a0and fired away. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" American White Pelicans are known for their conspicuous black and white coloration, cooperative foraging techniques and large body size. But what I enjoy most about them is the contrast between the goofy, almost comical proportions of their huge bill and pouch and their graceful, choreographed flight patterns when flying in flocks.<\/p>\n![\"american](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/american-white-pelican-9133-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"american](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/american-white-pelican-9134-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"dragonfly](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/dragonfly-9906-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"frog](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/frog-9866-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n