F/11.0, 1/125, ISO 125.
Cooper’s Hawk
Why was the snowman sad?
Cause he had a meltdown.
Interesting Fact: Cooper’s Hawks build nests in pines, oaks, Douglas-firs, beeches, spruces, and other tree species, often on flat ground rather than hillsides, and in dense woods. Nests are typically 25-50 feet high, often about two-thirds of the way up the tree in a crotch or on a horizontal branch. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 400.
Carolina Wren
One day, during a lesson on proper grammar, the teacher asked for a show of hands from those who could use the word “beautiful” in the same sentence twice. First, she called on little Suzie, who responded with, “My father bought my mother a beautiful dress and she looked beautiful in it.”
“Very good, Suzie,” replied the teacher. She then called on little Michael. “My mommy planned a beautiful banquet and it turned out beautifully,” he said.
“Excellent, Michael!”
Then, the teacher called on Little Johnny. “Last night, at the dinner table, my sister told my father that she was pregnant, and he said, ‘Beautiful, …just #$&#*&^# beautiful!
Interesting Fact: One captive male Carolina Wren sang nearly 3,000 times in a single day. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_Wren/lifehistory )
F/ 6.3, 1/125, ISO 1100.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
An New York woodpecker and a Florida woodpecker were in New York arguing about which state had the toughest trees to peck. The New Yorker
woodpecker said that they had a tree there that no woodpecker can peck.
The Florida woodpecker challenged him and was able to peck a hole in the tree with no problem. The New Yorker woodpecker was in awe!
The Florida woodpeck then challenged the New Yorker woodpecker to come to Florida and try to peck this certain tree there that no woodpecker had
ever been able to peck successfully.
The NewYorker woodpecker said he was sure he would be able to do it. So, after flying down to Florida, he successfully pecked the tree!
The two woodpeckers then had a discussion about why they were each unable to peck those trees in their own states. After thinking about this problem
for some time, they both came to the same conclusion: “Your pecker is always harder when you’re away from home…”
Interesting Fact: You may sometimes see Red-bellied Woodpeckers wedge large nuts into bark crevices, then whack them into manageable pieces using their beaks. They also use cracks in trees and fence posts to store food for later in the year, a habit it shares with other woodpeckers in its genus. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/lifehistory )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 100.
California Sea Lion
What do you call a seal in the desert?
Lost.
Interesting Fact: The California sea lion is a sleek animal, faster than any other sea lion or seal. These eared seals top out at speeds of some 25 miles (40 kilometers) an hour. ( http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/california-sea-lion/ )
F/7.1, 1/800, ISO 200.
Whimbrel
What Do You Call a Beach that Keeps Losing Sand?
A Shore Loser.
Interesting Fact: In many regions, the primary winter food of the Whimbrel is crab. The curve of the Whimbrel’s bill nicely matches the shape of fiddler crab burrows. The bird reaches into the crab’s burrow, extracts the crab, washes it if it is muddy, and sometimes breaks off the claws and legs before swallowing it. Indigestible parts are excreted in fecal pellets. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Whimbrel/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 360.
Green-Winged Teal
Men are like mascara, any sign of emotion and they’re running.
Interesting Fact: Green-winged Teals have closely spaced, comblike projections called lamellae around the inner edge of the bill. They use them to filter tiny invertebrates from the water, allowing the birds to capture smaller food items than other dabbling ducks. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green-winged_Teal/lifehistory )
F/ 5.6, 1/500, ISO 220.
Double-crested Cormorant
What do you call a fly without wings?
A walk
Interesting Fact: Accumulated fecal matter below nests can kill the nest trees. When this happens, the cormorants may move to a new area or they may simply shift to nesting on the ground. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Double-crested_Cormorant/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 280
Turkey Vulture
Why do birds fly south in the fall?
Because it’s too far to walk.
Interesting Fact: The Turkey Vulture’s distinctive slow, teetering flight style probably helps the bird soar at low altitudes, where it is best able to use its nose to find carrion. At other times they may soar high on thermals and form mixed flocks or kettles. On the ground they move with ungainly hops and are less agile than Black Vultures. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Turkey_Vulture/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 250.
Northern Pintail Duck
What do you call someone without a nose or a body?
Nobodynose.
Interesting Fact: The oldest recorded Northern Pintail was a male and at least 22 years, 3 months old when he was found in Saskatchewan, Canada. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pintail/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 200.
American Kestrel
Bacon and eggs walk into a bar and order a beer, the bartender says sorry, we don’t serve breakfast.
Interesting Fact:
Sports fans in some cities get an extra show during night games: kestrels perching on light standards or foul poles, tracking moths and other insects in the powerful stadium light beams and catching these snacks on the wing. Some of their hunting flights have even made it onto TV sports coverage. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/lifehistory )
Through Open Lens 