Australian Pelicans flying low
Australian Pelicans flying low over the sand flats on an ebbing tide
Canon EOS R1 with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 800, 800mm, f/9.0 and 1/2500])
In early January, I was on the sandflats at Narooma at low tide one morning. I had been having a wonderful start to the day photographing birds, as well as a number of other creatures. I had already photographed a group of Australia Pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) that were standing at the edge of the sandflats near the boating channel preening themselves. Sometime later, I was walking back to the shore when two national parks' helicopters took off from the north side of the inlet - I think that they were monitoring the bush fires much further inland. The noise of the helicopters disturbed the group of pelicans, which then started to launch into the air. The birds were just trying to get away from the noise of the ascending helicopters so the pelicans were flying low, almost skimming across the inlet. They were backlit by the rising sun, giving them almost a rim light effect, while also lighting their wings and bills. Because of how low they were, there was also a lovely reflection on the shallow water of the ebbing tide that was still barely covering the sandflats.
Australian Pelicans before being disturbed
Canon EOS R1 with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 125, 742mm, f/9.0 and 1/500])
