Day 19 found me driving through Huntington Beach State Park. I was out running errands so I hoped that there would be something to shoot quickly. Indeed there was.

I was surprised by a small flock of American White Pelicans!

One of the largest North American birds, the American White Pelican is majestic in the air. The birds soar with incredible steadiness on broad, white-and-black wings. Their large heads and huge, heavy bills give them a prehistoric look. On the water they dip their pouched bills to scoop up fish, or tip-up like an oversized dabbling duck.

American White Pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish and other aquatic organisms. They often upend, like a very large dabbling duck, in this process. They do not plunge-dive the way Brown Pelicans do. They are superb soarers (they are among the heaviest flying birds in the world) and often travel long distances in large flocks by soaring. When flapping, their wingbeats are slow and methodical.

During the morning of Day 20 I went to see some folks at Belin Memorial UMC. When I was leaving I went across the street to see what the Inlet looked like this morning. I had my 360 camera with me this morning and I had thoughts of shooting the Cross Memorial with it. I had done this before and liked the result and was anxious to do it again.

After I got home and looked at the 360 image I decided to turn it into a Tiny Planet. And that’s the story behind Day 20.