Find the missing item? :)

Eastern White Pelican

St James Park

London, England

A Bit of History

At the height of the Cold War, when the Russian ambassador to the UK extended the hand of friendship by offering some Russian pelicans for the park, the US ambassador got wind and decided they had to match the offer. A move that only exacerbated tensions.

As the story goes, the pelicans that the Americans sent didn’t get on with the Russians.

True to the age, there was a lot of posturing about whether either side were trying to sabotage the other. Until it turned out that the US pelicans were of a saltwater species and just didn’t like the fresh waters of St James’s Park.

Mistake realised and pelicans recalled, the Americans sent a fresh batch that ended up getting along just fine with their Russian counterparts. True again to the age, the story remains shrouded in the clandestine, with neither side confirming its truth.

For more information about the history of these imposing birds, visit www.londonxlondon.com/pelicans-of-st-james-park/

Thanks for stopping by!

© Melissa Post 2025

ISCO Gottingen 135mm f3.5

Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Nikon D5100, Tamron 18-270, ISO 200, f/6.3, 38mm, 1/160s

With the very distinctive markings of an immature hawk.

Thank you to Maurice Boire for correcting my identification of this bird: this is a red-tailed hawk, not a Cooper's hawk. Apologies for my error,

*See Wildlife album for other photos in this series

It's a nice day for a snail wedding! Isn't the bridal bouquet lovely? I have heard that this 'heads up' posture with snails is a preamble to mating...

For Macro Mondays Valentine's Day theme 'Love'.

No snails were harmed in the making of this photograph.

This is the first of what I hope will be several of these collages/mosaics. I think I will use this format for images that I don't feel have the power/quality to stand on their own, but the really good ones will get their own post.

These are the pics I got leading up to the Battle Royale image; be sure to check that out.

Thanks for looking.

A white wagtail sizing up a tiny insect.

Il ne faut pas confondre panache et jolies plumes .

Do not confuse panache with pretty feathers .

Black-headed gull, doing what black-headed gulls do!

A Tricolored Heron shades the water, ready to strike

Magnificent heron in flight,

putting up a show while keeping her eyes on the camera...

Spitalfields, London

A Roseate Spoonbill poses on its favorite rocky perch.

Summer capture of black bear cub resting on sturdy tree limbs, at the Vince Shutte Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Minnesota.

OLYMPUS EM-5Mark II

Apple River Fort Historic Site outside Elizabeth, IL. This is a reproduction of the Fort which saw action during the Blackhawk War....Happy fence Friday all!

Dance gesture

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Tamil Nadu - Tanjore / Tanjavur

Blue-winged teal at the start of his wing-flapping display.

A pair of nesting Northern Mockingbirds have made it their mission to attack me when leaving my front door. This one alighted on the branch after scraping my lens hood with her little claws.

Pose- Static Posture

Taken@- Luanes World- maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Le%20Monde%20Perdu/171/199/23

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Wearing

Shirt-cold ash. LEGACY M - FINNEAS Henley Sweater (Charcoal)

Scarf-ODIREN- Winter Scarf (Legacy/Athletic)-Plaid

Tattoo-CORAZON:. Tatoo MEMENTO EVO X Light :.

Rings-ROZOREGALIA_NARUSAZA*RING(Alphamale)

Female Northern Cardinal

Two of them - the Dalmatian Pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) were framed with their itchy feelings, scratching out for a pleasant solution while the other two were watching it out. I love the symmetrical posture of them with perfect lighting as well as crisp detail and a smooth background. Pics was taken from Dwarka sector in Gujrat, India.

This Roseate Spoonbill shows the importance of projecting your chin forward of your neck to avoid a double chin.

© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved

Candid eye contact street photography from Glasgow, Scotland. Enjoy!

Well, my lens was way too long to capture the posturing battle that was going on. You get the idea...

AKA Offensive posture of a Common Redpoll

Street photography.

kasquebrado 2019

I was really lucky and caught this beautiful Egret on a fishing boat in Marina Del Rey standing in front of a large rolled up black fishing net posturing to another Egret to keep away

A Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) buck approaches a rival, ears pinned back and hackles raised. This type of behavior, often known as "posturing" communicates agitation or aggression to other deer, most often rival bucks, and may indicate that a fight is imminent. Larimer County, Colorado.