A Pod Of White Pelicans...

[Joseph Przybyla]

Yesterday Dottie and I went to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. In one of the ponds along Black Point Wildlife Drive there were so many White Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, Snowy and Great Egrets, Avocets, and Wood Storks feeding it was beyond belief. In all the time I have been there, never have I seen such a grouping of birds. The Pelicans I am showing here would feed as large moving group, the large bills dipping into the water then raising above the surface to swallow the catch. Other pelicans were flying in from all around to join the feeding frenzy. The noise they made, a low guttural murmuring sound along with the splashing of bills into and out of the water. It was like... what do you photograph, how do you photograph to show the scene before you. Hopefully my image depicts a bit of what I witnessed. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D7000
Nikon 80-400mm F/4.5-5.6 VRII AF-S ED shot at 400mm (600mm FFE)
1/2500 F/8 Matrix Metering 0 EV AWB
Post processed in Lightroom 6 and Photoshop Elements 10
Cropped for composition and presentation

[Bob Smith]

I really like this one Joseph--focus caught the landing bird wingtip to wingtip with good exposure of both the blacks and whites with a nice fade of focus from the front birds on the water to the back---a great image.<script type="text/javascript" src="safari-extension://com.ebay.safari.myebaymanager-QYHMMGCMJR/3fe73cf0/background/helpers/prefilterHelper.js"></script>

[Arthur Morris]

Well done on exposure and image design. One second earlier would have been amazing with the incoming bird more to the right, right in the gap.

I saw the same thing there 25 years ago. I pulled up slowly and was just raising my lens when some tourist photographers pulled up behind me and exited their vehicles. With the expected results: all the bird flew away as they had been right next to the road.... a

[gail bisson]

Sounds like a magical moment. Thanks for the story- always add a lot with an image like this.
You have depicted the moment very well.
Exposure is spot on,
Gail

[Karl Egressy]

Sometimes you come across a magical moment that you described Joe and it'll stay with you for the rest of your life.
Great story and nice image to boot.

[adrian dancy]

The scene is a mess....I love it! :cheers:
Superbly exposed and a great job with nailing the flying bird.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Thanks everyone for viewing and commenting. Very much appreciated...