F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 250.
Tree Swallow
What kind of lights did Noah use on the Ark?
Flood lights!
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 )
F/8.0, 1/200, ISO 320.
Ant
Why was the baby ant confused?
Because all his uncles were ants.
Interesting Fact: Ants communicate with each other using pheromones, sounds, and touch.[71] The use of pheromones as chemical signals is more developed in ants, such as the red harvester ant, than in other hymenopteran groups. Like other insects, ants perceive smells with their long, thin, and mobile antennae. The paired antennae provide information about the direction and intensity of scents. Since most ants live on the ground, they use the soil surface to leave pheromone trails that may be followed by other ants. In species that forage in groups, a forager that finds food marks a trail on the way back to the colony; this trail is followed by other ants, these ants then reinforce the trail when they head back with food to the colony. When the food source is exhausted, no new trails are marked by returning ants and the scent slowly dissipates. This behaviour helps ants deal with changes in their environment. For instance, when an established path to a food source is blocked by an obstacle, the foragers leave the path to explore new routes. If an ant is successful, it leaves a new trail marking the shortest route on its return. Successful trails are followed by more ants, reinforcing better routes and gradually identifying the best path. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant#Behaviour_and_ecology )
F/5.6, 1/125, ISO 500.
Bumble Bee
What do you call a bee born in May?
A maybe!
Interesting Fact: Unlike the honeybee, bumblebees will not die after stinging. They can sting as much as they want. Luckily, they are not aggressive and they will sting only in self defense. ( http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/bumblebee_facts/582/ )
F/6.3, 1/125, ISO 400.
American Goldfinch ( Breeding Female )
What did the banana say to the doctor?
“I’m not peeling well.”
Interesting Fact: Male and female move around together to choose a suitable nest site. The female builds the nest, usually in a shrub or sapling in a fairly open setting rather than in forest interior. The nest is often built high in a shrub, where two or three vertical branches join; usually shaded by clusters of leaves or needles from above, but often open and visible from below. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/1000, ISO 200.
Black-crowned Night-Heron
What did the big chimney say to the little chimney?
“You’re too young to smoke.”
F/6.3, 1/180, ISO 320.
American Goldfinch
Who earns a living driving their customers away?
A taxi driver.
Interesting Fact: Goldfinches move south in winter following a pattern that seems to coincide with regions where the minimum January temperature is no colder than 0 degrees Fahrenheit on average. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 160.
Sandhill Crane
A guy walks into a bar with a set of jumper cables…
the bartender says, buddy, I’ll serve you as long as you don’t start anything.
Interesting Fact: Sandhill Crane chicks can leave the nest within 8 hours of hatching, and are even capable of swimming. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/overview )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 200.
American Kestrel
What did the painter say to her boyfriend?
“I love you with all my art!”
Interesting Fact: It can be tough being one of the smallest birds of prey. Despite their fierce lifestyle, American Kestrels end up as prey for larger birds such as Northern Goshawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barn Owls, American Crows, and Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, as well as rat snakes, corn snakes, and even fire ants. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel )
F/10.0, 1/320, ISO 160.
Sandhill Crane
Why was the chicken afraid?
Because it was chicken.
Interesting Fact: Although some start breeding at two years of age, Sandhill Cranes may reach the age of seven before breeding. They mate for life—which can mean two decades or more—and stay with their mates year-round. Juveniles stick close by their parents for 9 or 10 months after hatching. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/lifehistory )
F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 500.
Dandelion ( Taraxacum )
What did the alien dandelion say to the earthly dandelion?
Take me to your weader!
Interesting Fact: Dandelions are thought to have evolved about 30 million years ago in Eurasia.[18]Fossil seeds of †Taraxacum tanaiticum have been recorded from the Pliocene of southern Russia.[19] Dandelions have been used by humans for food and as a herb for much of recorded history.[20] “They were well known to ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and have been used in Chinese traditional medicine for over a thousand years. Dandelions probably arrived in North America on the Mayflower – not as stowaways, but brought on purpose for their medicinal benefits,” according to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum#History )
Through Open Lens 