Home»All Photographs»The Love of Pelicans

A few years ago I witnessed a ritual between two Australian pelicans that I have not seen since. Two pelicans, at Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra, were involved in a frenetic display of reed gathering and, it seemed, nest building. The pelican on which I focussed began to arach and writhe ecstatically, flapping his wings against the water, then writhing, then rising up above the surface with his wings raised in benediction. Here is the entire unpublished series. Bird lovers I have contacted have not witnessed this behavior. Pelicans are not uncommon birds, but there is much to learn about them in regard to their relationships.