Pelicans!

From our viewpoint on the balcony of a restaurant near Pier 19 in Galveston, we watched with cameras poised as the dozen or so brown pelicans went about their mid-day activity.

The next three photos show pelicans during "take-off" from the waters of the harbor.

Once airborne, these birds seemed especially equipped for effortless flight.

Their wing span of about 79 inches enables them to glide without much flapping of their wings.

In addition to flying with their wings in the most common position--fully extended,

the birds seem to be able to "bend" their wings.

Kate and I were about ten feet away from each other during the "photo shoot." We said very little and did not want to look away from the activity on the water.

These birds were captivating.

Photos #1 and #2 below show two points in one pelican's landing, and

these last two photos show a second pelican landing.

We have been in pursuit of the perfect pelican picture. I don't know if we achieved that goal, but we certainly had the perfect opportunity to photograph these intriguing birds up close.