F/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 560.
Gray Catbird
Day 158 / 365
I thought there was a kitty cat stuck in the tree, but that bird definitely tricked me. 🙂
Interesting Fact: Their calls include the catlike meow call that gives them their name. Gray Catbirds are able to recognize their own eggs making them less susceptible to brood parasites such as the Brown-headed Cowbird.( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/557/overview/Gray_Catbird.aspx )
F/6.3, 1/800, ISO 800.
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Day 157 / 365
Why did the heron cross the road?
To prove he wasn’t chicken.
Interesting Fact: The Black-crowned Night-Heron is a patient hunter. It will often stand still and just wait for a frog or other small animals to pass by. They may also hunt by vibrating their bills in the water to lure prey into investigating the disturbance. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/24/overview/Black-crowned_Night-Heron.aspx )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 1400.
Great Egret
Day 155 / 365
What kind of bird can carry the most weight?
The crane
Interesting Fact: Though it mainly hunts while wading, the Great Egret occasionally swims to capture prey or hovers (somewhat laboriously) over the water and dips for fish. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret/lifehistory )
F/6.0, 1/1000, ISO 450.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Day 141 / 365
What do you call a heron at the North Pole?
Lost!
Interesting Fact: Occasionally it will prey on small turtles; its stomach secretes an acid capable of dissolving the shells. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/53/_/Yellow-crowned_Night-Heron.aspx )
F/6.3, 1/250, ISO 1600.
Greater Yellowlegs
Day 127 / 365
Where do birds meet for coffee ?
In a nest-cafe !
Interesting Fact: Although the Greater Yellowlegs is common and widespread, its low densities and tendency to breed in inhospitable, mosquito-ridden muskegs make it one of the least-studied shorebirds on the continent. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/252/_/Greater_Yellowlegs.aspx )
F/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 400.
Horned Grebe
Day 123 / 365
Perfect day for a swim and dive, but not for me, the water is still too cold. 🙂
Interesting Fact: The Horned Grebe regularly eats some of its own feathers, enough that its stomach usually contains a matted plug of them. This plug may function as a filter or may hold fish bones in the stomach until they can be digested. The parents even feed feathers to their chicks to get the plug started early. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Horned_Grebe/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 1100.
Black-and-white Warbler
Day 120 / 365
I too used to swinging upside down from the tree when I was young. But I think he has me beat. 🙂
Interesting Fact: Black-and-white Warblers have an extra-long hind claw and heavier legs than other wood-warblers, which help them hold onto and move around on bark. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-and-white_Warbler/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 800.
White-throated Sparrow
Day 118 / 365
How does a bird with a broken wing manage to land safely?
With its sparrowchute.
Interesting Fact: The White-throated Sparrow comes in two color forms: white-crowned and tan-crowned. The two forms are genetically determined, and they persist because individuals almost always mate with a bird of the opposite morph. Males of both color types prefer females with white stripes, but both kinds of females prefer tan-striped males. White-striped birds are more aggressive than tan-striped ones, and white-striped females may be able to outcompete their tan-striped sisters for tan-striped males. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-throated_Sparrow/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 800.
Yellow Warbler
Day 116 / 365
You’re the yellow bird that I’ve been waiting for!
Interesting Fact: Their open, cuplike nests are easy to find, and cowbirds often lay eggs in them. Yellow Warblers in some areas thwart these parasites by building a new floor over the cowbird eggs and laying a new clutch of their own. In one case, persistent cowbirds returned five times to lay more eggs in one nest, and an even more persistent warbler built six layers of nest floors to cover up the cowbird eggs. ( http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/yellow-warbler )
F/6.3, 1/100, ISO 1600.
Eastern Towhee
Day 113 / 365
What do you give a sick bird?
Tweetment!
Interesting Fact: Eastern Towhees tend to be pretty solitary, and they use a number of threat displays to tell other towhees they’re not welcome. You may see contentious males lift, spread, or droop one or both wings, fan their tails, or flick their tails to show off the white spots at the corners. Studies have shown that male towhees tend to defend territories many times larger than needed simply to provide food. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Towhee/lifehistory )
Through Open Lens 