Saturday Snapshot July 23: Traffic Jam

I know my Air B&B (note the purposely altered name) is popular, with free meals, a pool, and all the natural amenities, but I’d never expected an aerial traffic jam with everyone arriving at the same time.

At first they looked like confetti in the sky from afar. Without a wide-angle lens I could only capture a section. Just imagine multiples of these:

confetti

confetti2

With no reservations, I wasn’t expecting them or knew who they were. But I could tell they weren’t gulls. As they came closer, they turned into squadrons of fighter planes:

Pelicans 2

By now, I could see clearly – American White Pelicans, interestingly, converging from opposite directions:

Closer still

No reservations? No problem. Welcome you all!

Welcome

Just make sure you leave a good review. And please make reservation next time.

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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.

 

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Arti

If she’s not birding by the Pond, Arti’s likely watching a movie, reading, or writing a review. Creator of Ripple Effects, bylines in Asian American Press, Vague Visages, Curator Magazine.

26 thoughts on “Saturday Snapshot July 23: Traffic Jam”

  2. Now I know where my friends have gone! What beautiful photos, Arti. And your description is apt. When they return here in the winter, they’re often first spotted in the sky, swirling and gliding so high that they’re barely visible. They turn, and disappear, and then reappear a little lower, following the currents.

    Isn’t it comforting to see the rhythms of nature continuing in their ages-old way, unaffected by human foolishness?

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    1. You’ve described their movement so beautifully, Linda. Yes, exactly, ‘swirling and gliding’ appearing closer and then they’d fly away, then come back again. As if checking how good my B&B is. You’re spot on too… the wisdom of Nature is unaffected by human folly. 😉

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    1. Sue,

      Even from afar, they were much more graceful as they didn’t flap their wings frantically as the gulls. With their huge wingspan, the Pelican, even though kind of awkward looking with their long bills, glide gracefully. Thanks for stopping by my Pond. 😉

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    1. Denise,

      They may look awkward, even cartoonish close up, they fly (glide) gracefully. I’ve read that the Pelican is the largest flying bird, with a wingspan of 9 ft. Lucky I have them here by the Pond, not too rare a bird in this neck of the woods. As for the sky, here in Calgary, Alberta, we have big blue sky most of the time, even in freezing winter time. Hope you’ll have a chance to visit some day. 😉

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    1. Michelle,

      You’re right about them being calming. They are huge, big birds, and may look cartoonish, but they are elegant and serene. Almost mythical.

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    1. Jeanie,

      Do you have Pelicans in your area? Maybe a different kind. Would love to see what sorts of birds you’re seeing now while vacationing.

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    1. Stefanie,

      I’ve read that the Pelican is the largest flying bird with a wing span of up to 9 ft! I’ve seen them closer, swimming on the pond. And they are huge. I’ll probably post some pics some other time.

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    1. Louise, I encountered problems with commenting on your blog so I’m doing it here via email. Hope you can receive it. Thanks for your comment. Yes, it was quite a sight! 🙂

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