F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 400.
Northern Shoveler
What did the duck say when he dropped the dishes?
“I hope I didn’t quack any!”
Interesting Fact: Females use their body, feet, and bill to make a small depression on the ground about 8 inches wide. The nest scrape is usually surrounded on at least three sides by vegetation and lined with downy feathers. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Shoveler/lifehistory )
F/8.0,1/250, ISO 400.
Northern Cardinal Male
Why did Scrooge keep a pet lamb?
Because it would say, “Baaaaahh humbug!”
Interesting Fact: Look for Northern Cardinals in dense shrubby areas such as forest edges, overgrown fields, hedgerows, backyards, marshy thickets, mesquite, regrowing forest, and ornamental landscaping. Cardinals nest in dense foliage and look for conspicuous, fairly high perches for singing. Growth of towns and suburbs across eastern North America has helped the cardinal expand its range northward. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 100.
Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays To All
Santa Claus Horseback Riding
What did the Christmas tree say to the ornament?
Quit hanging around!
Interesting Fact: In the Early Middle Ages, Christmas Day was overshadowed by Epiphany, which in western Christianity focused on the visit of the magi. But the medieval calendar was dominated by Christmas-related holidays. The forty days before Christmas became the “forty days of St. Martin” (which began on November 11, the feast of St. Martin of Tours), now known as Advent.[83] In Italy, former Saturnalian traditions were attached to Advent.[83] Around the 12th century, these traditions transferred again to the Twelve Days of Christmas (December 25 – January 5); a time that appears in the liturgical calendars as Christmastide or Twelve Holy Days. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas#History )
F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 500.
Canvasback
Did you hear the joke about the roof?
Never mind, it’s over your head!
Interesting Fact: Canvasbacks are diving ducks at home in the water, seldom going ashore to dry land. They sleep on the water with their bill tucked under the wing, and they nest on floating mats of vegetation. To get airborne Canvasbacks need a running start, but once in the air they are strong and fast fliers, clocking airspeeds of up to 56 miles per hour. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canvasback/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/100, ISO 320.
American Red Squirrel
Why do squirrels swim on there back?
To keep their nuts dry!
Interesting Fact: Red squirrels can be easily distinguished from other North American tree squirrels by their smaller size, 28–35 cm (11–14 in) total length (including tail), territorial behavior, and reddish fur with a white venter (underbelly).[6] Red squirrels are somewhat larger than chipmunks. The Douglas squirrel is morphologically similar to the American red squirrels, but has a rust-colored venter and is restricted to the southwestern coast of British Columbia and in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. These species’ ranges do not overlap. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_red_squirrel )
F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 400.
Blue Jay
Bobby went in to a pet shop.
He asked the employee, “Can I buy a goldfish?”
The employee: “Do you want an aquarium?”
Bobby: “I don’t care what star sign it is.”
Interesting Fact: Blue Jays are known to take and eat eggs and nestlings of other birds, but we don’t know how common this is. In an extensive study of Blue Jay feeding habits, only 1% of jays had evidence of eggs or birds in their stomachs. Most of their diet was composed of insects and nuts. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 400.
Heermann’s Gull
How do you communicate with a fish?
Drop him a line!
Interesting Fact: The Heermann’s Gull is the only North American gull that breeds south of the United States and comes north to spend the nonbreeding season. After breeding is over in July, the gull quickly comes north all the way to southern Canada. It heads back southward by December, and most breeders are at the breeding islands by March. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Heermanns_Gull/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 640.
Double-crested Cormorant
What do you call a bear with no socks on?
Bare-foot.
Interesting Fact: Large pebbles are occasionally found in cormorant nests, and the cormorants treat them as eggs. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Double-crested_Cormorant )
F/5.6, 1/125, ISO 320.
Mute Swan
Why did the teacher jump into the water?
She wanted to test the water!
Interesting Fact: The black knob at the base of the male Mute Swan’s bill swells during the breeding season and becomes noticeably larger than the female’s. The rest of the year the difference between the sexes is not obvious. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mute_Swan/lifehistory )
F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 160.
Common Gallinule
Why didn’t the skeleton go to the dance?
Because he had no-body to go with
Interesting Fact: Common Gallinules build nests to raise their young, but they also build platforms of matted vegetation to display for potential mates. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Gallinule )
Through Open Lens 