Started Saturday morning at Columbia Bottom in hopes of getting duck photos– but you have to have water to have ducks. No water– no ducks and Columbia Bottoms had neither.

Left Columbia Bottoms around 8 and headed for Riverlands. Saw George G parked on the rail at Teal Pond photographing pelicans swimming and preening. After a brief conversation, where George said it would be much later before the pelicans would fly, I pulled into the parking lot. A couple of lady birder/photographers were out on the first rip rap causeway. The large pelican flock then split into 3 parts. One part headed for the far west end of Teal Pond, the majority stayed where they were and smaller portion began swimming towards George.

I set up the tripod with the 500 with 1.4 and headed towards the far end since the two ladies walking were moving the birds to slowly change positions.

The wind was from the West which made all flight shots a combination of back or side lit– not the best conditions for that type of shot. Headed home for breakfast around 9:20 after saying bye to George.

Got an email later from George saying the birds flew 10 minutes after I left and flew a circle that presented them in front lighting and low altitude.  You gotta love it 🙂