Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus. Perth, Western Australia.
Photographer: Diana Andersen, Australia. Category: Attention to Detail. HONOURABLE MENTION.
Photographer's Story: ‘I have always been fascinated by the ability of large-billed birds to be so dexterous when preening. It seems to me like trying to slice cake with an axe. I was photographing a preening pelican that had been swimming in a tourist area lake. The water in the lake is very dark and exposing for the white feathers made the background even darker. The pelican removed a feather which stuck to its bill. It opened its bill and shook to remove the feather. A trail of water droplets rained down from water that had accumulated in the tip while preening its wet feathers.’
Canon EOS 5D MkIII with Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. 214mm focal length; 1/2,000 second; f/5; ISO 2,000. Handheld.
