Reader Photo: A pelican’s ‘crane style’

Driving by Almansor Park in Alhambra, nature photographer Kathy Degner saw three big white shapes on the pond. From that distance, it could only be pelicans.

“They’re so big, it’s really impressive to see their size,” Degner says. In terms of wingspan, a large pelican could be comparable in size to a small California condor. “So they’re noticeable.”

Degner waited with her camera as the American white pelican hopped out of the water onto a rock. As she snapped the photo, the bird assumed the “crane style” stance from the movie “The Karate Kid,” one of her Facebook friends mused.

Degner, who is involved with the Audubon Society in Pasadena, said many kinds of waterfowl migrate to Almansor Park during the winter months, including Canada geese and American widgeons. Photographers turn up by the dozens to see the photogenic mergansers around this time of year.

Pelicans, though, are not as common because the pond isn’t stocked with fish, as others are in the area. But Degner said the sightings are a hopeful sign: If the parks are kept cleaner, maybe more wildlife will come visit.

“For a suburban area, it does bring in a lot of animals,” she said. “You’re never quite sure what you’re going to see.”

Degner used a Canon 7D Mark II to make the image.

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