Bayonne

Keep Calm And Quack On!

April 12, 2023 — 21 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 200.

Red-breasted Merganser  

A motorist in a B.M.W. was driving through the countryside on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, having a lovely time, when he came to an area of the road that was covered with a rather large puddle of water from a previous rain storm. Worried that he was going to damage the car and its engine in the deep water, he spotted a nearby farmer and asked how deep the water was. “Arr”, said the local farmer “That water only be a few inches deep!” Relieved, the motorist edged his car into the water, expecting to come out the other side in no time. Instead, as he drove in, the water came right up the side of the car, and the engine sputtered to a halt. Sitting there in his soaking wet luxury car, the motorist yelled at the local angrily: “I thought you said this water was only a few inches deep!!!” “Well,” replied the local farmer “It only come up to the waist of them there ducks!”

Interesting Fact: It prefers salt water more than the other two species of merganser. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/115/overview/Red-breasted_Merganser.aspx )

The Truth Is Hard To Swallow When You’re Choking On Your Pride!

April 1, 2023 — 6 Comments

F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 250.

Tree Swallows

What do you call a guy who never farts in public?

A private tutor.

Interesting Fact: Tree Swallows have helped researchers make major advances in several branches of ecology, and they are among the best-studied bird species in North America. Still, we know little about their lives during migration and winter. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tree_Swallow/lifehistory )

Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!

March 11, 2023 — 6 Comments

ring-billed-gulls

F/5.6, 1/320, ISO 400.

Ring-billed Gull             

What do you call a man with seagull on his head?

Cliff

Interesting Fact: Migrating Ring-billed Gulls apparently use a built-in compass to navigate. When tested at only two days of age, chicks showed a preference for magnetic bearings that would take them in the appropriate direction for their fall migration. The gulls also rely on landmarks and high-altitude winds to provide directional cues.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-billed_Gull/lifehistory )

Bottoms Up!

March 8, 2023 — 5 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 250.

Killdeer

What did the apple tree say to the farmer?

STOP PICKING ON ME!

Interesting Fact:  The male and female of a mated pair pick out a nesting site through a ritual known as a scrape ceremony. The male lowers his breast to the ground and scrapes a shallow depression with his feet. The female then approaches, head lowered, and takes his place. The male then stands with body tilted slightly forward, tail raised and spread, calling rapidly. Mating often follows. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer )

Your Worries Will Float Away

March 2, 2023 — 3 Comments

gadwall

F/6.3,1/250, ISO 400.

Gadwall

Why are bad school grades like a shipwreck in the Arctic Ocean?

They’re both below C level!

Interesting Fact: Gadwall have increased in numbers since the 1980s, partly because of conservation of wetlands and adjacent uplands in their breeding habitat through the Conservation Reserve Program and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Their habit of nesting on islands within marshes gives them some protection from predators. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gadwall/lifehistory )

Is Yellow Really The Color For Me?!

March 1, 2023 — 6 Comments

savannah-sparrow

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 500.

Savannah Sparrow   

What can you catch but not in your hands?

A cold!

Interesting Fact: In many parts of the species’ range, especially in coastal areas and islands, Savannah Sparrows tend very strongly to return each year to the area where they hatched. This tendency, called natal philopatry, is the driving force for differentiation of numerous Savannah Sparrow subspecies. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Savannah_Sparrow/lifehistory )

I Don’t Stalk. I Investigate!

February 22, 2023 — 2 Comments

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 320.

Black-and-white Warbler 

What do you call a guy who never farts in public?

A private tutor.

Interesting Fact: The Black-and-white Warbler is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. The genus name means “moss-plucking,” a reference to its habit of probing bark and moss for insects.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-and-white_Warbler )

You Are My Sunshine

February 20, 2023 — 15 Comments

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 320.

Palm Warbler

Why didn’t the sailors play cards?

Because the captain was on the deck.

Interesting Fact: Canada’s boreal forests stretch for miles and miles. The great boreal forest, often called “North America’s bird nursery,” is the summer home to billions of migratory birds and an estimated 98% of all Palm Warblers. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Palm_Warbler )

It Takes Nothing To Join The Crowd. It Takes Everything To Stand Alone.

February 19, 2023 — 10 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 200.

Killdeer

What’s the difference between a guitar and a fish?

You can tune a guitar, but you can’t tuna fish.

Interesting Fact: Gravel rooftops attract Killdeer for nesting, but can be dangerous places to raise a brood. Chicks may be unable to leave a roof because of high parapets and screened drain openings. Adults eventually lure chicks off the roof, which can be dangerous – although one set of chicks survived a leap from a seven-story building. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer )

You Big Silly Goose!

February 16, 2023 — Leave a comment

F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 320.

Brant Goose

How do baseball players stay cool?

They sit next to their fans.

Interesting Fact: An abundant small goose of the ocean shores, the Brant breeds in the high Arctic tundra and winters along both coasts. The Brant along the Atlantic have light gray bellies, while those off the Pacific Coast have black bellies and were at one time considered a separate species.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brant/lifehistory )