Chasing Light

Though my alarm was set for 3:30am, I woke a half-hour earlier on the 20th of March. The bike was gassed up, the cameras and tripods packed, so I was showered, warmed with decaf, encased in leather, and on the road toward the Salton Sea at 3:30. The sea is always a crapshoot, as far as what kinds of waterfowl may be present. But the gulls and pelicans never seem to leave, which is alright with me, since I like watching the pelicans. All of my previous visits to the sea have been during the middle of the day, but this time I was chasing the light. Wanting to catch the birds in the early light, I planned on arriving at the old resort pictured below about a half-hour before sunrise.
	Near the northern end of the lake on the eastern shore is a long-abandoned resort.
I don't know what the resort's name was, since it was in such a bad state of "repair" until a few months ago when restoration work started on it. The restoration has partially returned the resort to what I suppose was its former glory, and the width of the southern breakwater has recently been expanded with the "sand" typical of the sea, the tiny shells of various marine creatures. The “magic” light is volitile, changing quickly as the source of sunlight continues to higher above the horizon.
	This photo, a view in the opposite direction of the one above, has quite a different quality of color, though it was taken at nearly the same time.
	I liked the way the low-angled sunlight illuminated the pelicans on the water.
	The next four photos were shot in the direction of the shore from the southern (newly-widened) breakwater.
	Hunting breakfast, the pelicans cruised back and forth in the sheltered water inside the breakwaters.
	As they swam gathering breakfast, they turned in and out of the light and shadows.
	They don’t seem to bother each other when they catch something, but when a gull flys in to take a fish, the nearby pelicans rush the gull. I assume it’s a profitable strategy, or they wouldn’t repeat it so consistently.
	As on the last ride to the sea, there was a single Heron, a Snowy Egret in the area. This may be the same individual that I've seen before, but I don't know, since they all look the same.
	The same egret as above, standing sentinel on the southern breakwater.