F/6.3, 1/100, ISO 320.
Tufted Titmouse
What is the snowman’s breakfast?…
Frosted flakes!
Interesting Fact: The Black-crested Titmouse of Texas and Mexico has at times been considered just a form of the Tufted Titmouse. The two species hybridize where they meet, but the hybrid zone is narrow and stable over time. They differ slightly in the quality of their calls, and show genetic differences as well. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Titmouse/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 640.
Great Blue Heron
Why did the student wear eye-glasses in math class?
It improved DiVision !
Interesting Fact: In flight the Great Blue Heron folds it neck into an “S” shape and trails its long legs behind, dangling them as it prepares to land or when courting. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 250.
Northern Pintail Duck
What did the salad say to the fridge?
Shut the door, I’m dressing!
Interesting Fact: Seemingly at home on land and water, Northern Pintails waddle through fields and swim gracefully with the tail pointed upwards. They erupt in flight from the water’s surface at a moment’s notice, wheeling and darting through the air on their slender wings. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pintail/lifehistory )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 250.
Ruddy Duck
Why are Christmas trees so bad at sewing?
They always drop their needles!
Interesting Fact: Unlike most ducks, they form pairs only after arriving on the breeding grounds each year. Males perform unusual courtship displays in which they stick their tails straight up while striking their bills against their inflated necks, creating bubbles in the water as air is forced from their feathers. They punctuate the end of the display with a belch-like call. Courting males also lower their tails and run across the water, making popping sounds with their feet. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruddy_Duck/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/250, ISO 1600.
Ring-Necked Pheasant
How do snowmen get around?
They ride an icicle!
Interesting Fact: Male Ring-necked Pheasants may harass other ground-nesting birds, such as the Gray Partridge and the Greater Prairie-Chicken. Female pheasants sometimes lay their own eggs in these birds’ nests. This may explain why some male pheasants have been seen chasing away male prairie-chickens and courting females—the pheasants may have been raised in prairie-chicken nests and imprinted on the wrong species. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-necked_Pheasant# )
F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 250.
Bufflehead Duck male
Why was the snowman looking through the carrots?
He was picking his nose!
Interesting Fact: During the winter, look for these tiny, black-and-white ducks in sheltered coves along the Atlantic or Pacific coast, or on inland ponds in southern North America. While foraging they spend half their time underwater, so scan carefully and patiently. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bufflehead/ )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 640.
Common Loon
Why is sex like math?
You add a bed, subtract the clothes, divide the legs, and pray there’s no multiplying!
Interesting Fact: A hungry loon family can put away a lot of fish. Biologists estimate that loon parents and their 2 chicks can eat about a half-ton of fish over a 15-week period. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Loon )
F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 200.
Common Eider
What did one toilet say to the other toilet?
You look a bit flushed.
Interesting Facts: This species dives for crustaceans and molluscs, with mussels being a favoured food. The eider will eat mussels by swallowing them whole; the shells are then crushed in their gizzard and excreted. When eating a crab, the eider will remove all of its claws and legs, and then eat the body in a similar fashion. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_eider )
F/5,6, 1/400, ISO 125.
Tree Swallow
How do you make a water bed more bouncy?
Use spring water.
Interesting Fact: The Tree Swallow—which is most often seen in open, treeless areas—gets its name from its habit of nesting in tree cavities. They also take readily to nest boxes. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/tree_swallow/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 250.
Shark Week
American Coot
Spiny Dogfish Shark
Why do sharks make terrible lawyers?
They’re too nice!
Interesting Fact: Although it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. Instead, each one of the coot’s long toes has broad lobes of skin that help it kick through the water. The broad lobes fold back each time the bird lifts its foot, so it doesn’t impede walking on dry land, though it supports the bird’s weight on mucky ground. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Coot )
Through Open Lens 