F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 220.
Hooded Merganser ( Female )
What did the duck carry his schoolbooks in?
His Quackpack
Interesting Fact: The Hooded Merganser is the second-smallest of the six living species of mergansers (only the Smew of Eurasia is smaller) and is the only one restricted to North America. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Merganser/lifehistory )
F/10.0, 1/1600, ISO 800.
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Did you know that before you became my best friend, I used to hang out with another girl every single day in her super awesome tree house?
It’s true, but unfortunately we had a falling-out.
Interesting Fact: Scientists find it easy, if a bit smelly and messy, to study the diet of young Black-crowned Night-Herons—the nestlings often disgorge their stomach contents when approached. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-crowned_Night-Heron/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 800.
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Why are pirates so mean?
I don’t know, they just arrrrrrrrr!
Interesting Fact: The Golden-crowned Kinglet usually raises two large broods of young, despite the short nesting season of the northern boreal forest. The female feeds her first brood only up until the day after they leave the nest. She then starts laying the second set of eggs while the male takes care of the first brood. The male manages to feed eight or nine nestlings himself, and he occasionally feeds the incubating female too. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden-crowned_Kinglet/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 1100.
Ring-Necked Pheasant
A pheasant says to a bull, “I would love to get on top of that tree, but I haven’t the energy.”
“Well,” says the bull, “why don’t you eat some of my dung? It’s packed with nutrients.”
So the pheasant eats some dung and finds that it gives him enough energy to get to the first branch. The next day, he eats some more and gets to the next branch. This cycle continues for a week. Finally, the pheasant is at the top of the tree, where he is spotted by the farmer, who shoots him with a shotgun.
Moral of the Story: bullsh*t might take you to the top, but it won’t keep you there.
Interesting Fact: While the birds normally don’t cover more than about 600 feet at a time, strong winds can extend their flights considerably. Observers in 1941 reported seeing a pheasant fly a record four miles while crossing a body of water. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-necked_Pheasant/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/1000, ISO200
Bayonne Sunset
What is the ratio of a pumpkin’s circumference to its diameter?
Pumpkin Pi
Interesting Fact: The Sun accounts for 99.86% of the mass in the solar system. It has a mass of around 330,000 times that of Earth. It is three quarters hydrogen and most of its remaining mass is helium. ( https://theplanets.org/the-sun/ )
F/6.0, 1/500, ISO 360.
Mallard
A Ham sandwich walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a drink.
The bartender says, “Sorry we don’t serve food.”
Interesting Fact: The Mallard is the ancestor of nearly all domestic duck breeds (everything except the Muscovy Duck). Domestic ducks can be common in city ponds and can be confusing to identify—they may lack the white neck ring, show white on the chest, be all dark, or show oddly shaped crests on the head. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/250, ISO 400
White-Tailed Deer
What is it called when a tree takes time off from work in autumn?
Paid leaf.
Interesting Fact: Deer have a great sense of hearing and can even move their ears in any direction, without moving the head. Deer have an excellent sense of smell and can detect predators from a long distance away.
F/ 5.6, 1/500, ISO 100.
Caspian Tern
Why did the cookie go to the hospital?
Because he felt crummy.
Interesting Fact: The Caspian Tern aggressively defends its breeding colony. It will pursue, attack, and chase potential predatory birds, and can cause bloody wounds on the heads of people who invade the colony. The entire colony will take flight, however, when a Bald Eagle flies overhead, exposing the chicks to predation from gulls. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Caspian_Tern/overview )
F/5.6, 1/125, ISO 200.
Why does Humpty Dumpty love autumn?
Because Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
Interesting Fact: Red and purple leaves are actually caused by the presence of sugars from sap that is trapped inside of the leaves. ( http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Autumn_Facts_for_Kids )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 220.
Hooded Merganser ( Female )
Why is chicken soccer match a bad idea?
There are too many fowls.
Interesting Fact: Hooded Merganser ducklings leave their nest cavity within 24 hours of hatching. First, their mother checks the area around the nest and calls to the nestlings from ground level. From inside the nest, the little fluffballs scramble up to the entrance hole and then flutter to the ground, which may be 50 feet or more below them. In some cases they have to walk half a mile or more with their mother to the nearest body of water. ( Hooded Merganser Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology )
Through Open Lens 