ca wild

We Are All Winging it!

August 28, 2020 — 68 Comments

F/5.6, 1/2000, ISO 320.

Anna’s Hummingbird ( Female )

Why do bees have sticky hair?

Because they use honeycombs.

Interesting Fact: Hummingbirds are strictly a New World animal. They fascinated the first Europeans who arrived on the continent. Christopher Columbus wrote about them and many wondered if they were a cross between a bird and an insect (at one point being called “flybirds”). Later, their feathers became fashionable ornaments in Europe (a practice that has thankfully fallen out of favor). ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/overview )

You Never Leave Your Wingman!

May 21, 2020 — 5 Comments

F/ 9.0, 1/320, ISO 250.

Brown Pelicans 

Why does Piglet smell so bad?

Because he plays with Pooh.

Interesting Fact: Pelicans usually feed above estuaries and shallow ocean waters within 12 miles of shore, but sometimes venture over the deeper waters past the narrow continental shelf of the Pacific coast. They occasionally feed by sitting on the surface and seizing prey with their bills, like other pelican species, usually when a dense school of fish is close to the surface and the water is too shallow and muddy to plunge. They also steal food from other seabirds, scavenge dead animals, and eat invertebrates such as prawns. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican/lifehistory )

When Someone Yells STOP I Don’t Know Whether It’s In The Name Of Love, It’s Hammer Time, Or I Should Smell The Flowers.

May 20, 2020 — 7 Comments

F/5.3, 1/800, ISO 320.

Anna’s Hummingbird ( Female )

How do angels greet each other?

They say Halo

Interesting Fact: Anna’s Hummingbirds normally have a body temperature of around 107 degrees Fahrenheit—that’s a scorching temperature for a human. When outside temperatures fall, Anna’s and many other species of hummingbirds enter torpor. Their breathing and heart rate slow, and their body temperature can fall as low as 48 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature warms, the hummingbirds can become active again in a few minutes. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/ )

 

 

Just Smile And Wave!

May 19, 2020 — 20 Comments

F/5.6, 1/320, ISO 100.

California Sea Lion 

Why do sea lions go to Tupperware parties?

To find a tight seal!

Interesting Fact: When diving deep, California sea lions slow their heart rates to allow them to remain underwater for nearly ten minutes before surfacing to breathe. This ability gives them an edge in the pursuit of the fish, squid, and shellfish that make up their primary diet. ( http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/c/california-sea-lion/ )

Life Is Like A Cactus, Full Of Pricks, But Also Very Beautiful.

February 27, 2020 — 2 Comments

F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 250.

Loggerhead Shrike

What is a soldiers least favorite month of the year?

March

Interesting Fact: Loggerhead Shrikes impale noxious prey such as monarch butterflies and eastern narrow-mouthed toads—then wait for up to three days to eat them, which allows time for the poisons to break down. These shrikes also eat the heads and abdomens of toxic lubber grasshoppers, while discarding the insect’s poisonous thorax. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Loggerhead_Shrike )

 

 

I Used To Think I Was Indecisive, But Now I’m Not Too Sure.

January 12, 2020 — 4 Comments

F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 250.

Loggerhead Shrike

At a local coffee bar, a young woman was expounding on her idea of the perfect mate to some of her friends. “The man I marry must be a shining light amongst company. He must be musical. Tell jokes. Sing. And stay home at night!” An old granny overheard and spoke up, “Honey, if that’s all you want, get a TV!”

Interesting Fact: The upper cutting edge (tomium) of the Loggerhead Shrike’s hooked bill features a pair of built-in pointy projections, aptly named “tomial teeth.” Like a falcon, the shrike tackles vertebrate prey with a precise attack to the nape, probably using these tomial “teeth” to paralyze the animal with a jab to the spinal cord. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Loggerhead_Shrike )