As I drove through the “Prairie Pothole” region east of Bismarck, I noticed that the water levels in a lot of these tiny lakes are VERY low. We need rain badly. I also saw a lot of these big white fellas. They were apparently in a pretty good mood, too, because normally I haven’t been able to get near them with my camera. I’ve tried at a number of wildlife refuge areas around North Dakota.

Pelicans are neat looking birds, and large ones too. These guys were hanging out in a lake just east of Medina. Monday was a pretty nice day, sunny and lightly breezy…perfect for swimming and flying, I guess. While the birds kept a reasonably safe distance, they weren’t as shy or skittish as the ones I’ve encountered in the past. Still, I pushed my telephoto lens to the limit to get these shots of them.

Something so big can still look pretty graceful, can’t it? Notice how his feet are tucked in behind him…he’s got retractable landing gear! My little lovebird, Scooter, does the same thing when he flies. It’s pretty cool to see. This pelican circled around quite a bit, gliding and flapping those enormous wings. He looked very graceful…

Until he augered in on the landing. That would be me if I were a pelican…as soon as a camera comes along, I eat it trying to land in calm water. “I meant to do that,” as Pee Wee Herman would say. Oh well, I still think he’s a remarkable creature. He was able to compose himself and glide proudly along, preening his feathers as he bobbed around in the water. And I hopped in the truck with a smile on my face, ready to continue back home to Bismarck.