2015—Costa Rica—Squadron

Squadron after squadron of brown pelicans seemed to be strafing the waves in the early mornings as we watched from the beach. Moose admonished us about getting tips and tails while photographing birds in flight. That means the edges of the photos have wingtips and tails of otherwise unseen birds detracting from the composition. I found that hand holding the camera with a long lens and panning to follow a squadron of birds in flight while avoiding tips and tails and still managing to get them in focus is not a particularly easy thing to do.

I love the colors in the first shot, one I took facing east just after the sun rose, which silhouettes the pelicans. In the other shots, the pelicans are flying toward the rising sun.