The Australian Pelican

INTRO: We’ve been in Australia for over two years now and we’re still blown away by the abundance of wild animals and birds we come across in the great outdoors.  Allow me to share some of them with you, captured by our very own camera lens.

#6 The Australian Pelican
April 2012, Werribee South, Victoria

The Australian pelican, one of seven pelican species, is the largest of its kind with a wingspan up to two and a half metres, and standing around a metre tall. Populations are currently booming, with pelicans in particular taking advantage of the recent wetter weather for their spring breeding season, and are now returning to their preferred coastal habitat in numbers that Victorians haven't experienced before. We can certainly bear witness to that as we come across them all along the coast near our home, from Werribee South, to Altona and onto Williamstown, and we've even spotted them at the wetlands just around the corner from our house. 

They are an amazing sight to behold, especially when you see them soaring overhead, whilst an occasional and awkward flapping of their wings pushes them forward at a pace so slow, it seems to defy gravity. For once, I am actually glad of the rain.   

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/big-wet-means-bumper-breeding-for-birds-20120411-1wsa0.html#ixzz1tZJ5Xh6q