Shane challenges us this week to play with angles: “Once I place my subject, I shoot him or her from every angle I can think of: high, low, wide, tight, left and right. By altering your angle, and not your subject’s, you begin to see the power in the story that you are aiming to capture.” Click on the link to see more examples of this week’s WP challenge
Companionship is sharing a bench.
A bit of light preening before lunch.
Showing off the hairstyle.
“Well how about sharing your lunch?” Asks the Pelican. “Not today,” says the man.
The pelican is not impressed.
Giving the man the cold shoulder and instead tries a bite of wooden bench.
In a bit of a huff.
Nature on the Edge 
GREAT! In every respect…
… and a great white pelican it is! (Second largest of the pelican species). 🙂
A giant – at first I thought it wasn’t real!
I agree with Leya! 🙂 Magnificent captures, Liz.
Gosh, that is one huge pelican. 🙂 Could you send me one? 😀
Never seen a pelican over here and I had no idea they grew so big..
Wonderful pictures, Liz, as always.
And come to think of it, the man and the pelican have the same hairstyle 😀 Brothers? Nah, he is much too small to be a pelican.. 🙂 Nice post, Liz
Tejaswi .. but will you put out your fishing rod daily if i’d send you one? 🙂 There’s a whole long story of how the pelicans are paraded at St James’ Park – back to 1664. Now it’s a tradition to keep tamed birds (wings are clipped) for the benefit of people’s amusement. And I’ve been shamelessly anthropomorphic in slanting the angle of the story.
oh.. I didn’t know that.. that is so sad.. but hey, I did have kites and eagles that refused to fly. Not unable to, but simply too happy to be fed by me. Why fishing rods, we can use purseine nets.. 😀
We are all like that, Liz. We never really know what goes on in their minds, but we are happy to announce to the world that we know best.
However, in this case, it was quite apt 😀
.. clever raptors, why hunt when ready meals are available? The pelicans in the park are treated royally too, right there in front of Buckingham Palace. It’s a nice posh address with three course meals.
I don’t keep birds at home now, even though sometimes when I find them I am tempted to. But two reasons: One, my wife throws a fit if I get any new animals or birds (forget the snakes or lizards, she would turn the gun on me). Two, I am not sure that it is kindness at all. I am not sure I am equipped to give them life or support. I feel like a greedy man who just wants to possess them, even if they are probably made for a life in the wild.
But your pelicans, very nice 🙂 And yes, posh address, posh lifestyle 😀
A paradox indeed – caring for creatures by changing their habits and making them dependent, or seeing them come to harm in unsafe and dwindling habitats….
Yes, I know.. not much of a choice at all..
Hahaha is he for real? My god what a huge pelican. Brilliant series, I especially like the two where the man and pelican look at each other and the one where they both look the other way. These two together… so funny!
Thanks for sharing, you made me laugh out loud!
Majestic creature, right?! This is a great white pelican, the Dalmatian species apparently just pips it in size. This one is tame, but what an opportunity to get up close. The old man was a kind of ‘self-appointed’ guardian keeping an eye that it didn’t get too harrassed by the crowds.
I have to know: Is the man a friend of yours? Did you prompt him? The series is SO comical! I’ve seen pelicans in South Carolina before but not up close. I had no idea they are so big!
Hi Sue… the man was a complete stranger, but I have shamelessly exploited a situation with an anthropomorphic angle! The setting is a very busy park in London – St James where people and birds mingle. There are three tame pelicans ( their wings are clipped) as part of the heritage of the park when way back in 1664 the Russian Ambassador presented three Great White pelicans to King Charles II and since then the tradition has been kept up. Quite the most majestic of creatures 🙂
Thanks for the back story, Liz. Really interesting. Now I have to Google Great White Pelicans to find out more. I’d love to use one of these photos for a post I’m hatching (hee-hee) on communication. Would that be okay with you? Of course I’d properly credit you and link back to this post. What do you think? (E-mail redosue@gmail.com if you’d rather communicate that way.)
Hi Sue, Sure that’s fine. I can send pic via email attachment, or you may right click and copy.
Thanks, Liz!
Amazing! never seen a pelican get so close to a human before. love the shot with the man and the pelican both looking theother way, ignoring each other!
Yes… most pelicans are extremely wary of man! The sequence was taken in St James’ Park in London where there are three tame pelicans (their wings are clipped), and they have become habituated to people. The bench makes a perfect roost, not too high to jump onto. While i was there many people stopped to get a close-up view, they are incredibly powerful birds and the size of that bill is impressive.
Absolutely amazing shots! What fun. 😃
Thanks Sylvia… but i’ve been shamelessly anthopomorphic in my story angle!
Wow! Like watching a play….. how lucky to to see that tableau ….lovely : ))
Yes, quite surreal really; it happened in St James’ Park, London. Sometimes one gets the feeling of dropping down Alice’s rabbit hole in that part of the world.
You really need to be this close to them to appreciate just how large a pelican really is! To not stand up and flee the old man must be really brave or really lazy! 😀
Wonderful perspectives for this week’s challenge, Liz!
Yes, just how much damage a pelican can wreak with that mandibular claw. The scene is from St Jame’s Park in London where there are three tame pelicans – (their wings have been clipped). They’re habituated to thronging crowds of badly behaved people. But the old man was a kind of ‘self-appointed’ guardian watching over the birds. Chatted to him as I was curious about the birds’ reaction to people intruding into their space (including those foolish enough to pet them) said that the birds move off if people bother them too much. And would you believe that there are people who try to feed them bread!!
That must be such an interesting thing to do with your time – “Guardian of the Pelicans”. Someone should write a book about it. Thanks for the fascinating back-story Liz!
Not a bad idea at all! I could see a whole plot developing there – what with the mobs of people. And the local characters were pretty colourful too.
I like the way the shopping bags add some color!
Yes, they add to the scene! Like a couple taking a break on their way home from the supermarket 🙂
Totally brilliant and what a brave man sitting beside that beak!
I’ve used a shamelessly anthromopomorphic angle to this series! The scene was set in St Jame’s Park where there are three tame pelicans. They are used to crowds of people intruding into their space, but when the going gets tough they move off into the water or waddle behind the people barrier. The man is a local, and casts a protective eye over proceedings – said he hadn’t seen them acting aggressively with their beaks… but any sensible person would stay a respectful distance.
😀
Much as I love benches I would have moved from that one. What a large beak! Where was this taken then Liz?
(I may have to link back to this for my October Bench Challenge – things/people on a bench – can’t get much more perfect a fit than this!)
The shots were taken in St James Park in London, where three tame pelicans put up with people intruding into their space. The delightful man was a self-appointed ‘guardian’, casting a protective eye over the pelican on the bench. They appeared to be quite comfortable in each other’s presence. I worried about the proximity and yes the damage that mandibular nail on the end of that huge beak could cause, but he said that the birds are quite docile. Their wings are clipped so the park is home, and the benches make a great roost. Love your Bench series, but for the lack of time … would be participating.
How extraordinary! I would not have guessed at London. I will link to your post in October if you don’t mind. It has to be a winner!
Hi Jude, you’re most welcome to link to this post. 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Love the angles and subjects, especially the first shot.
A fascinating post. The photos amazed me, so I was glad for the explanations in the comments. So glad I didn’t miss this one.
janet
Thanks for your interest Janet. As always i appreciate your comments.
Splendid series Liz, wouldn’t it be great to know what really is going on in their minds – murderous thoughts or simple showing off – I wonder ! 🙂
These are great photos, works well with the challenge too.
Great photos! I was in St James’s Park very recently and saw the sign telling us not to feed the pelicans. We couldn’t see the pelicans anywhere, so thought perhaps they had been moved, or the sign was a joke, so it’s nice to see that they do actually exist (or one of them does anyway.)!
What a brilliant share! Many thanks to Jude for bringing me here. 🙂
This is just amazing, love all the angles you have captured.
Gorgeous! We love all Pelicans.
They’re incredibly strong – but sometimes come over as being quite goofy!