Pelican Ballet

What I used to do on lazy weekends: take the CalTrain up to San Francisco; ride up Hawk Hill; fire up my mini stove to make a large mug of spiced cider; and watch Pelicans fly laps around the Golden Gate Bridge all afternoon, until the sun sets.

These large birds — weighing up to 33 lbs (15 kg), and with a wingspan of 11 feet (3.3 m) — are gorgeous to behold.

The feathers on the tips of the wings increase aerodynamic efficiency. For the same reason, wingtips were retrofitted to airliners this century.