Pelican taking off.

Anyone have thoughts on how to better expose this picture. Taken in

Program mode (I think) on my Rebel 2000, using matrix metering.

I can advise

1 - to go on to manual mode

2 - take exposure values by making the shutterspeed as high as possible with aperture at 5.6 from grass or a grey ground

in such photographs. The fast shutter speed will help to avoid the blur (but you may want the blur)

and metering from a normal lighted place will prevent metering faults