Gray Catbird
F/5.6, 1/125, ISO1400.
Son: Dad I am cold!
Dad: Go stand in the corner it’s 90 degrees.
Interesting Fact: The male Gray Catbird uses his loud song to proclaim his territory. He uses a softer version of the song when near the nest or when a bird intrudes on his territory. The female may sing the quiet song back to the male. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray_Catbird )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 400.
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron ( Juvenile )
Why was the baby strawberry crying?
Because her mom and dad were in a jam
Interesting Fact: Foraging birds stand still or slowly stalk crabs and other prey along shorelines, marshes, and fields. Once in striking range they lunge at their prey and seize it in their bill. They swallow small prey whole, but often shake apart, crush, or spear larger prey. They forage on their own, typically keeping other individuals at a distance of 15 feet or more. Courting Yellow-crowned Night-Herons make display flights around their colonies, sometimes with the neck conspicuously extended. Courting pairs make a neck-stretching display, slowly raising and then quickly pushing the head back between its shoulders, while fanning the long shoulder plumes. Males do this first and females sometimes follow. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-crowned_Night-Heron )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 500.
Bananaquit
What did the guitar say to the guitarist?
Pick on someone your own size!
Interesting Fact: Bananaquits build nests with side entrance holes. Several nests may be built, with some used only as sleeping quarters. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/1014/overview/Bananaquit.aspx )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 200.
Elegant Tern
What happened when a faucet, a tomato and lettuce were in a race?
The lettuce was ahead, the faucet was running and the tomato was trying to ketchup.
Interesting Fact: Approximately 90-97% of all Elegant Terns nest in one colony on Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California, Mexico. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Elegant_Tern/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/100, ISO 640.
Bananaquit
What does a baby computer call its dad?
Data
Interesting Fact: Its nickname, the sugar bird, comes from its affinity for bowls or bird feeders stocked with granular sugar, a common method of attracting these birds in the USVI. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/1014/overview/Bananaquit.aspx )
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 )
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 )
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 )
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/5.6, 1/125, ISO 200.
Helmeted guineafowl
Why was the man running around his bed?
He wanted to catch up on his sleep.
Interesting Fact: The helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris) is the best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida. It is native to Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced into the West Indies, Brazil, Australia and Europe (e.g. southern France). ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmeted_guineafowl )
Through Open Lens 