F/6.3, 1/50, ISO 400.
Great Horned Owlets
What do you call an owl get together?
A HOO-tenanny
Interesting Fact: When clenched, a Great Horned Owl’s strong talons require a force of 28 pounds to open. The owls use this deadly grip to sever the spine of large prey. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/lifehistory )
F/13.0, 1/640, ISO 320.
Northern Harrier
What did one toilet roll say to the other toilet roll?
“People keep on ripping me off!”
Interesting Fact: Male Northern Harriers can have as many as five mates at once, though most have only one or two. The male provides most of the food for his mates and their offspring, while the females incubate the eggs and brood the chicks. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/overview )
F/ 7.1, 1/200, ISO 250.
Northern Cardinal ( Female )
My neighbor is really into music.
Even his driveway is hard rock.
Interesting Fact: Many people are perplexed each spring by the sight of a cardinal attacking its reflection in a window, car mirror, or shiny bumper. Both males and females do this, and most often in spring and early summer when they are obsessed with defending their territory against any intruders. Birds may spend hours fighting these intruders without giving up. A few weeks later, as levels of aggressive hormones subside, these attacks should end (though one female kept up this behavior every day or so for six months without stopping). ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/125, ISO 200.
Helmeted guineafowl
Why was the man running around his bed?
He wanted to catch up on his sleep.
Interesting Fact: The helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris) is the best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida. It is native to Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced into the West Indies, Brazil, Australia and Europe (e.g. southern France). ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmeted_guineafowl )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 320.
Elegant Tern
How do you organize an outer space party?
You planet.
Interesting Fact: The oldest recorded Elegant Tern was at least 20 years, 11 months old when it was found in California in 2010, the same state where it had been banded in 1989. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Elegant_Tern )
F/5.6, 1/60, ISO 320.
Peafowl
Did you hear the story about the peacock?
It’s a beautiful tail.
Interesting Fact: Peafowl are forest birds that nest on the ground, but roost in trees. They are terrestrial feeders. All species of peafowl are believed to be polygamous. In common with other members of the Galliformes, the males possess metatarsal spurs or “thorns” on their legs used during intraspecific territorial fights with other members of their kind. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peafowl#Behaviour )
F/6.3, 1/125, ISO 400.
American Goldfinch ( Breeding Female )
What did the banana say to the doctor?
“I’m not peeling well.”
Interesting Fact: Male and female move around together to choose a suitable nest site. The female builds the nest, usually in a shrub or sapling in a fairly open setting rather than in forest interior. The nest is often built high in a shrub, where two or three vertical branches join; usually shaded by clusters of leaves or needles from above, but often open and visible from below. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/lifehistory )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 500.
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Why did Bob throw the clock out of the window?
Because he wanted to see time fly!
Interesting Fact: Yellow-rumped Warblers flit through the canopies of coniferous trees as they forage. They cling to the bark surface to look for hidden insects more than many warblers do, but they also frequently sit on exposed branches and catch passing insects like a flycatcher does. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-rumped_Warbler/lifehistory )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320.
Ruddy Ducks
Where do sheep go to get haircuts?
To the Baa Baa shop!
Interesting Fact: Ruddy Ducks spend the vast majority of their time on the water. They are fast fliers but have little maneuverability in the air, and they tend to swim and dive rather than fly to escape predators—which include Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, mink, raccoons, and red foxes. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruddy_Duck/lifehistory )
F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 320.
Bufflehead Duck
Why are hairdressers never late for work?
Because they know all the short cuts!
Interesting Fact: Bufflehead nest only in cavities, using holes dug by Northern Flickers and sometimes Pileated Woodpeckers (as well as artificial nest boxes). In the summer, females that are too young to breed, or whose nests have failed, fly around in noisy groups and scope out the available nest holes for the following breeding season. Just before laying, females make more secretive flights to prospective holes, either alone or with their mates. They usually choose cavities in poplar or aspen trees, except in California where they often use pine trees. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bufflehead/lifehistory )
Through Open Lens 