On a trip to San Diego I had this pelican resting on the cliff with the late morning light nicely diffused through the high overcast. He doesn't have the full breeding plumage colours, as he's missing the golden yellow head (can one of the birding experts chime in as to why? Is this a young bird perhaps?), but you can still see the fire engine red and green on the bill pouch.
5D mkIV, 500mm f/4
1/1250 @ f/7.1, ISO 800
ACR/Photoshop
Good vertical comp, nice BG, and I love the water drop accumulating at he bill tip. Good details. Warming up the image a bit would be a good idea IMO. Not sure why the lack of yellow with the bill pouch fully coloured...perhaps an individual trait? Cool to have in the files to compare with others.
Beautiful colors, even if he lacks the full gamut. Classic pelican comp, with a good simple background. The drop of water brings it up a notch. Good looking image.