Of Course I Talk To Myself, Somtimes I Need Expert Advice.

F/8.0, 1/250, ISO200.

Common Eider

What did one elevator say to the other elevator?

I think I’m coming down with something!

Interesting Fact: The Pacific form of the Common Eider is distinct genetically and morphologically from the other forms, and may be a different species. The male has a thin black V on its chin and a bright yellow or orange bill. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Eider/ )

Are You Tailing Me Because That Would Be Super!

northern-pintail-duck-1

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 )

Watch It! I Am Swimming HERE!

F/ 6.3, 1/160, ISO 200.

Black Scoter 

What did the nose say to the finger?

Stop picking on me.

Interesting Fact:  Birds occasionally do a “wing-flap” display while swimming, flapping their wings with the body held up and punctuating this with a downward thrust of head, as if its neck were momentarily broken. ( https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/298/overview/Black_Scoter.aspx )

Quack Addict

hooded-mergansers-female

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 )

 

 

Quack You, You Quacker!

F/ 10.0, 1/320, ISO 320.

Northern Shoveler 

What do you call a kid who doesn’t believe in Santa?

A rebel without a Claus.

Interesting Fact: They are often referred to as the “Spoonbill” or “Spoony” because of their unique spatulate shaped bill, which has about 110 fine projections (called lamellae) along the edges, for straining food from water.  ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/97/overview/Northern_Shoveler.aspx )

What The Duck?

bufflehead

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 250.
Bufflehead Duck

Two ducks are in a pond.

One went “Quack quack!”

And the other duck said “That’s funny I was just about to say that!”

Interesting Fact: The Bufflehead nests almost exclusively in holes excavated by Northern Flickers and, on occasion, by Pileated Woodpeckers. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bufflehead/lifehistory )

Duck Magnet!

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 250.

Ruddy Duck

How do you know that carrots are good for your eyesight?

Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing glasses?

Interesting Fact:  Ruddy Ducks lay big, white, pebbly-textured eggs—the largest of all duck eggs relative to body size. Energetically expensive to produce, the eggs hatch into well-developed ducklings that require only a short period of care. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruddy_Duck/lifehistory )

Swim Your Heart Out!

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 250.

Bufflehead Duck 

What do you call two ducks and a cow?

Quackers and Milk.

Interesting Fact: Bufflehead fossils from the late Pleistocene (about 500,000 years ago) have been found in Alaska, California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Texas, and Washington. One California fossil that resembles a modern Bufflehead dates to the late Pliocene, two million years ago.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bufflehead/lifehistory )

Well I’m going down, down, down, down, down, down.

mallard-landing

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 )

Do You Have My Quack?

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320.

Ruddy Duck

Did you hear about the duck with a drug problem?

He was a quackhead.

Interesting Fact:  The oldest Ruddy Duck on record was a male and at least 13 years, 7 months old. He was banded in British Columbia and 1951 and found in Oregon in 1964. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruddy_Duck )