Picture of the Day - 2/16/2010

Since NANPA activities kicked off later tonight with a reception, I had another day off to photograph. It was recommended I visit the Stillwater NWR northeast of Reno for the birdlife and I left early, as it was about an hour drive. Once I arrived, I was disappointed to see that much of the wetlands had been drained. There was also a near total lack of life; birds or otherwise. I did manage to see a couple red-winged blackbirds and a red-tailed hawk soaring in circles, but that was pretty much it. However, bird photography, like any wildlife photography, requires patience! After giving up and heading back out, I saw the most wonderful sight - a group of eight American pelicans soaring in regular circles nearly straight overhead! I was able to capture dozens of flight formations as they circled above. Here are three that I call, "In Formation" (slightly cropped for composition). I was using my 100-400mm/f5.6 lens with shutter of 1/1000 sec handheld. It turns out there is a major pelican breeding area on an island in Pyramid Lake, just northwest of Stillwater.