Brown Pelican

 The gawky pelicans hunkered down on the pylons of Kiptopeke State Park in Virginia are some of the goofiest looking birds I have ever seen. Imagine my surprise when they take to the air with such navigational precision that there is barely space between them and the water. At the last possible second, when it seems as though the pelican will crash into the surface, it tilts its body upward and veers away.

c. Christina Baal 2014