Great White Pelican on the Takeoff Run

DANUBE DELTA, TULCEA COUNTY, ROMANIA

A great white pelican lifts from the shallows with wings fully spread. The long bill and pale body are set against a low, blurred line of wetland trees. Water breaks under the bird’s feet, leaving a small spray in the foreground. The frame holds the moment between standing and flight, with the body still low and the wings already open. It reads as a direct field record from open water at dusk-like, muted light.