He Was Cold. I Was Cold. We Were Cold Together.

I remember seeing a pelican like this years ago when I first started taking photos. And I’ve been on the hunt for a photo like this since I started becoming serious about my photography a few years ago. Once I nailed down a spot where I knew the pelis hung out, it was just a matter of waiting for the right conditions for the shot. On a cold day in February, I knew I’d have my opportunity.

A lot of people tell me this guy looks mean. He wasn’t mean. He was cold. This is how pelicans handle the weather… cold weather, stormy weather.. whatever weather… they just hunker down and ride it out. It was cold when I left the house and went to my peli hangout. I had a good feeling I’d find at least one trying to stay warm. And here he was!

He was hanging out on the dock to a boat slip. The slip is in a U shape, so it was easy to let him be and walk across the dock to the other side of the slip. So I was what, 30-40 feet from him? Then I sat down and waited. I knew he was cold. I was cold. We were cold together. And I just needed to get him to look at me. And when he did, it was golden.

And a lot of people will ask how I know it’s a male pelican. Brown pelicans with brown heads can either be females or juvenile males. But when the males are ready to breed? Look out ladies! They get that yellow head breeding plumage.