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Little Duckies Need Some Snackies

May 30, 2023 — 12 Comments

F/5.6, 1/160, ISO 100.

Mallard Female with Ducklings

Who earns a living driving their customers away?

A taxi driver.

Interesting Fact:  The female forms a shallow depression or bowl on the ground in moist earth. She does not carry material to the nest but rather pulls vegetation she can reach toward her while sitting on nest. During egg-laying phase, she lines the nest with grasses, leaves, and twigs from nearby. She also pulls tall vegetation over to conceal herself and her nest. After incubation begins, she plucks down feathers from her breast to line the nest and cover her eggs. The finished nest is about a foot across, with a bowl for the eggs that is 1–6 inches deep and 6–9 inches across. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory )

 

Strike A Pose

May 24, 2023 — 12 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 100.

Brown Pelicans

I bought some shoes from a drug dealer.

I don’t know what he laced them with, but I’ve been tripping all day.

Interesting Fact: The closely related Peruvian Pelican lives along the Pacific Coast of South America from southern Ecuador to Chile. It’s a little larger than a Brown Pelican, with fine white streaking on its underparts and a blue pouch in the breeding season. These two species are the only pelicans that plunge-dive for their food. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican/lifehistory )

It’s Better To Swallow Words Than To Have To Eat Them Later

May 20, 2023 — 22 Comments

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 )

Do Not Cross Me I Have My Fancy Pants On Today!

May 19, 2023 — 23 Comments

F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 200.

Snowy Egret

What did the triangle say to the circle?

You are pointless!

Interesting Fact: Male Snowy Egrets fight for breeding territories, choose nest sites, and perform noisy courtship displays to attract mates. A ring of other egrets often gathers around a displaying male as he pumps his body up and down, points his bill skyward, and calls. He also performs aerial displays, including one that ends with him dropping toward the ground while tumbling around and around. After pairing up, Snowy Egrets continue defending the immediate area around the nest, raising their crests and giving rasping calls. Some of their nest predators include raccoons, Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, American Crows, Fish Crows, American alligators, and gray rat snakes. Highly social all year long, Snowy Egrets forage with gulls, terns, ibises, and other herons, and they nest in colonies alongside many other species, including Great Egrets, night-herons, Glossy Ibises, Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Cattle Egrets, and Roseate Spoonbills. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Egret/lifehistory )

It’s Electrifyin

May 15, 2023 — 12 Comments

F/8.0, 1/1000, ISO 200.

Monk Parakeets

What do you get when you cross a parrot and a centipede?

A walkie-talkie.

Interesting Fact: Monk Parakeets in North America live in urban and suburban environments, especially around city parks. They are one of the few parrot species able to survive temperate-zone winters. In their native range in South America, Monk Parakeets live in dry savannas with scattered woods up to about 6,000 feet elevation.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Monk_Parakeet/lifehistory )

Baby Time!

May 14, 2023 — 10 Comments

F/5.6, 1/320, ISO 100.

Canada Goose Goslings

What did the blanket say to the bed?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

Interesting Fact: Canada Geese eat grain from fields, graze on grass, and dabble in shallow water by tipping forward and extending their necks underwater. During much of the year they associate in large flocks, and many of these birds may be related to one another. They mate for life with very low “divorce rates,” and pairs remain together throughout the year. Geese mate “assortatively,” larger birds choosing larger mates and smaller ones choosing smaller mates; in a given pair, the male is usually larger than the female. Most Canada Geese do not breed until their fourth year; less than 10 percent breed as yearlings, and most pair bonds are unstable until birds are at least two or three years old. Extra-pair copulations have been documented. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/lifehistory )

I Am Looking Up To You!

April 29, 2023 — 7 Comments

F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 320.

Elegant Tern

How do you organize an outer space party?

You planet.

Interesting Fact: The oldest recorded Elegant Tern was at least 20 years, 11 months old when it was found in California in 2010, the same state where it had been banded in 1989. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Elegant_Tern )

Sharks Aren’t The Bad Guys. If Some Stranger Entered My House In Just A SPEEDO, I Would Probably Attack Him Too.

April 26, 2023 — 25 Comments

Shark Week 

F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 360.

Spiny Dogfish Shark

What is a sharks favorite sci-fi show?

Shark Trek

Interesting Fact: Spiny dogfish are bottom-dwellers. They are commonly found at depths of around 50–149 m (164–489 ft), but have been found deeper than 700 m (2,300 ft). ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiny_dogfish )

If You Dare Come A Little Closer!

April 13, 2023 — 9 Comments

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.”

 Interesting Fact: Some populations stay in one place year-round, while others disperse short distances of 5–60 miles. Others migrate farther, such as from Massachusetts to Florida and the Caribbean, or from Alberta to Mexico and Cuba. Migrants follow the coast or the Mississippi River flyway. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-crowned_Night-Heron/lifehistory )

Being Small Works For Me!

March 29, 2023 — 2 Comments

F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 220.

Least Sandpiper

Why did the teddy bear say no to dessert?

Because he was stuffed.

Interesting Fact: The Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird in the world, weighing in at about 1 ounce and measuring 5-6 inches long. Males are slightly smaller than females. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Least_Sandpiper )