Early Morning Pelican

One of my favorite species, and usually not incredibly difficult to get close to or anything, but American White Pelicans have been tough for me to get in good lighting or in good poses.  Typically, when you see when, they either slowly swim away from you, or maybe take flight.  Not the greatest poses for a photograph!! I was pleased to get a very early morning pelican at Lake Thompson that decided to swim parallel to the camera instead of away...a nice change!  And a photo I was very glad to get, especially of him in his breeding grandeur with the bill protrusion.