Jim Chamberlain’s Pelicans in Flight at the Glendale Recharge Ponds. (Nikon D810, 600mm, 1/1250 sec, F11, ISO 1000)
Lynn Warren
When you think of birds in Arizona, pelicans are probably not the first to come to mind. As it turns out, the Glendale Recharge Ponds are one of the best birding areas in Maricopa County. These six large basins may appear dull, but the birds that show up make this place one of the most exciting hotspots in the county; only Willcox is a better spot in Arizona for shorebirds. Like our PebbleCreek snowbirds, North American Pelicans are frequent visitors and have found that Phoenix is a great location for the winter. On a recent Camera Club outing to the ponds, club member Jim Chamberlain managed to capture a beautiful birds-in-flight picture as three pelicans flew low over the pond, and at the club’s monthly image review, his picture was selected as photo of the month for December. This picture is a great example of how modern cameras produce high-quality images even with higher ISO settings.