It's really important that we get our Pelican standing believably on the post. Up to this point, the shape of the bird can be a bit loose, but when we come to the post, the top face on which the Pelican sits is exactly flat and the top edges have a chamfer over which the toes hang.
The trick, as with a lot of carving, is to sneak up on it and here, part of the refining, is to start stalking our prey...