Two pelicans in Denmark, Western Australia

@JudyEv (326126)
Rockingham, Australia
April 2, 2017 5:58pm CST
After my last post showing the gorgeous sunrise at Denmark, Western Australia, I was asked about photos of pelicans so here is one from a day or two ago. If you want to see a funny one of pelicans dancing, you can search for a post I did entitled 'Doing the pelican waltz'. I'll add the link at the bottom of this. And in case you don't read that article I'll repeat some of the information I gave there. There are seven species of pelican. They have hollow bones and the skeleton makes up only 10% of the bird's weight. The bill can hold up to 13 litres. During courtship, it changes colour becoming yellow in the throat region and a bright salmon pink at the forward part of the pouch while part of the top and base of the bill become cobalt blue. Lake Eyre in central Australia is some 700 kilometres north of Adelaide but whenever there are significant rains there, pelicans arrive in their thousands. What a long haul for them.
I promised I'd put up some more pelican photos taken on our recent jaunt to the south coast of Western Australia. However I hadn't realised Vince had got such a...
23 people like this
21 responses
@Happy2BeMe (99390)
• Canada
2 Apr 17
Very interesting facts that I did not know. What a beautiful picture.
5 people like this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Apr 17
They are lovely birds, aren't they?
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99390)
• Canada
3 Apr 17
@JudyEv they sure are. I have never seen one in real life just pictures
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
@Happy2BeMe I'm a bit surprised at that but I suppose I shouldn't be.
1 person likes this
@KristenH (33363)
• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
2 Apr 17
Wow! That's some photo of those pelicans. Beautiful birds.
4 people like this
@KristenH (33363)
• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
3 Apr 17
@JudyEv My pleasure. I don't think I've seen one in person before over here.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
@KristenH They can't be nearly as common as I thought.
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Apr 17
Thanks. There were a lot of pelicans in the area.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48560)
• Canada
2 Apr 17
What a stunning photo, very interesting facts about these birds.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
Thanks. They are slow-moving so it's not too hard to photograph them.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
3 Apr 17
They are such interesting creatures. Thanks for sharing the video.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
You're welcome. There is a great film about a boy who befriends a pelican too. It's called Storm Boy.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43419)
• Denver, Colorado
3 Apr 17
I've never seen an actual pelican in person, that I can remember.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
@teamfreak16 I seem to assume a lot of things and keep getting surprised.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
@Happy2BeMe says she hasn't seen one either. I find that a bit incredible. I guess Colorado is too far from the sea and maybe it's too cold in Canada.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43419)
• Denver, Colorado
3 Apr 17
@JudyEv - I may have seen one as a kid, but if so, I don't remember.
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (53677)
3 Apr 17
They look awesome against the dark background.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
Quite stunning aren't they? Vince has darkened the background but it makes the photo much more dramatic.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
3 Apr 17
Very lovely photo. Thanks for sharing it. Interesting facts as well.
3 people like this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
3 Apr 17
@JudyEv I love to look at photos of things I would otherwise not see in person.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
I'm glad you like it.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
@allen0187 So you don't have pelicans there?
1 person likes this
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
3 Apr 17
wow, so cool. I live on the east coast of the US.. NO PELICANS here.. I love this.. I took vacation.. um. 13 years ago.. Went to California - I saw pelicans brown pelicans. SO cool. they were sitting around on the docks and I loved the way the flew over the water following the surf as it rolled in. I loved watching them. Fascinated since we don't have any here.. These are cool because they are white and I never saw white ones. I see on is markedly bigger.. is that a male and female , do you think?
3 people like this
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
3 Apr 17
@JudyEv ah, that makes sense.. I took some pelican shots while in California. but nothing that came out good. and I was only just getting into photography then.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
@minx267 Some birds are hard to photograph but those that swim are a bit slower and easier to 'catch'.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
Apparently males are larger than females so this could well be a pair.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130122)
• India
3 Apr 17
Elegant would be another word for them. I notice I have already commented on the above post.
3 people like this
@allknowing (130122)
• India
3 Apr 17
@JudyEv I do not mean this post but the one that you have attached here.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
@allknowing Oh sorry. In this instance, your response is at the top so I thought 'above' referred to this post.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
I sometimes comment twice too. And I think they look elegant too.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (459212)
• Switzerland
3 Apr 17
This is a great photo Judy. I love pelicans, they are beautiful birds and quite friendly too.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (459212)
• Switzerland
3 Apr 17
@JudyEv They really are, the most commons that I have seen in Florida are the brown pelicans.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
These come crowding round if there are any fish to be had for the begging. They certainly are beautiful.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
@LadyDuck Dianne's photo showed a brown one. We don't have them here - not that I know of anyway.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (49133)
• United States
3 Apr 17
They are so unique looking
3 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (49133)
• United States
3 Apr 17
@JudyEv yes,it would be
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
They'd be hard to mistake for anything else wouldn't they?
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
3 Apr 17
I swore I saw some this weekend, but they aren't usually in this area, from my understanding, pretty birds
3 people like this
• Bangalore, India
3 Apr 17
Lovely picture...there is no word to praise it...
3 people like this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
Do you have pelicans in India at all?
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 17
@ichchhe_mrityu That's interesting.
1 person likes this
@manasamanu (3746)
• Bangalore, India
3 Apr 17
That's a nice photo up there. You have given a substantial information about them. Thanks for sharing. Good morning, have a wonderful day myLotting.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you like the photo.
1 person likes this
• Bangalore, India
3 Apr 17
@JudyEv I did
1 person likes this
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
4 Apr 17
Great information and that is a long trip for the birds. My area has the California Brown Pelican.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Apr 17
I think the black and white ones are more striking.
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
5 Apr 17
Amazing photo! love it! ..
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 17
Thanks. They are lovely birds.
1 person likes this
@just4him (307132)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
3 Apr 17
I remember that photo, so I think I read that article, but I'm going to check, just in case.
1 person likes this
@just4him (307132)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
3 Apr 17
@JudyEv Yes they do. I just left a comment on it. Found I hadn't read it after all.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Apr 17
@just4him Thanks for that. Have a great day.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
I love the 'dancing' one. They look so funny.
1 person likes this
@Telynor (1763)
• United States
3 Apr 17
Terrific photo.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
Thanks. I'm glad you like it.
@Ronrybs (17849)
• London, England
3 Apr 17
I am assuming it wasn't shot at night, do like that apparent black background
3 people like this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
The black background is Vince's fault. He was fiddling again!
3 Apr 17
I liked that photo... It's so poetic.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326126)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Apr 17
Thanks. It's effective with the black background.
1 person likes this
4 Apr 17
@JudyEv Yeah. Really nice.