f/6.3

And Since I Have No Place To Go Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.

January 4, 2020 — 17 Comments

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 320.

Northern Cardinal Female

Why did the baseball coach throw Cinderella off the team?

Because she ran away from the ball.

Interesting Fact: A week or two before the female starts building, she starts to visit possible nest sites with the male following along. The pair call back and forth and hold nesting material in their bills as they assess each site. Nests tend to be wedged into a fork of small branches in a sapling, shrub, or vine tangle, 1-15 feet high and hidden in dense foliage. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/lifehistory )

 

 

 

I Spread My Wings And I Fly!

December 29, 2019 — 23 Comments

F/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 640.

Great Blue Heron 

Why did the student wear eye-glasses in math class?

It improved DiVision !

Interesting Fact:  In flight the Great Blue Heron folds it neck into an “S” shape and trails its long legs behind, dangling them as it prepares to land or when courting. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/lifehistory )

You Are Full Of It!

December 26, 2019 — 8 Comments

F/6.3, 1/250, ISO 1600.

Ring-Necked Pheasant

How do snowmen get around?

They ride an icicle!

Interesting Fact: Male Ring-necked Pheasants may harass other ground-nesting birds, such as the Gray Partridge and the Greater Prairie-Chicken. Female pheasants sometimes lay their own eggs in these birds’ nests. This may explain why some male pheasants have been seen chasing away male prairie-chickens and courting females—the pheasants may have been raised in prairie-chicken nests and imprinted on the wrong species. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-necked_Pheasant# )

Into The Woods We Go!

August 2, 2019 — 6 Comments

F/6.3, 1/13, ISO 1600.

Groundhog (Woodchuck )

What’s the Great White Sharks favorite candy?

The Jaw-Breaker!

Interesting Fact: Groundhogs prepare for hibernation by putting on weight.  Then they live off the stored fat until they come out of hibernation. ( https://www.kidsplayandcreate.com/fun-groundhog-facts-and-groundhog-day-facts-for-kids/ ) 

I Fear Sharks So Much That I Just Sharted!

August 1, 2019 — 11 Comments

F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 7200.

Pied-Billed Grebe

Why do sharks make terrible lawyers?

They’re too nice!

Interesting Fact: Pied-billed Grebe chicks typically leave the nest the first day after hatching and spend much of their first week riding around on a parent’s back. They usually spend most of their first 3 weeks on or near the nest platform. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-Billed_Grebe )

Sleep Owl Day, Party Owl Night!

March 13, 2019 — 18 Comments

F/6.3, 1/80, ISO 500.

Eastern Screech-Owl

Why did the Owl invite his friends over?

He didn’t want to be owl by himself.

Interesting Fact: Like most raptors, male Eastern Screech-Owls are smaller than females, and are more agile fliers and hunters. The female doesn’t hunt while on the nest; she and the chicks depend on food brought them by the male. Though the male is smaller, his voice is deeper than the female’s.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/ )

Of Course I Talk To Myself… Sometimes I Need Expert Advice.

May 15, 2018 — 3 Comments

F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 125.

Hispaniolan amazon or Hispaniolan parrot

What do you get when you cross a parrot with a shark?

An animal that talks your head off.

Interesting Fact: As with other amazons, it prefers forested areas where food is plentiful. This parrot lives in the wood forests in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. However over the recent years they have been captured out of their natural habitat illegally for pet trades or just to keep them as pets which are very popular in the Dominican Republic. Right now[when?] the population ranges from 10,000 to 19,000 in the wild and decreasing. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispaniolan_amazon#Habitat_and_distribution )

Call Me A Teddy Bear Again!

May 7, 2018 — 14 Comments

F/6.3, 1/50, ISO 2000.

American Black Bear

Why don’t bears like fast food?

Because they can’t catch it!

Interesting Fact: Solitary animals, black bears roam large territories, though they do not protect them from other bears. Males might wander a 15- to 80-square-mile home range. ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/american-black-bear/ )

I Wanna Go Fast!

February 8, 2018 — 7 Comments

F/6.3, 1/60, ISO 400.

White-throated Sparrow

Two state officials are talking  “I don’t know what people have against us, We haven’t done anything.”

Interesting Fact:  Males are typically dominant over females, but whether an individual is white-striped or tan-striped seems to have no bearing on status. When pairing up, white-striped forms tend to choose tan-striped individuals, and vice versa. Pairs stay together for the summer, but birds often choose new partners the next year.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-throated_Sparrow/lifehistory )

If You Want To Go Running With Me, You’d Better Be Prepared To Walk A Lot.

January 24, 2018 — 18 Comments

F/6.3, 1/80, ISO 400.

Opossums

A 3 years old boy sits near a pregnant woman.

Boy: Why do you look so fat?

Pregnant woman: I have a baby inside me.

Boy: Is it a good baby?

Pregnant woman: Yes, it is a very good baby.

Boy: Then why did you eat it?!

Interesting Fact:  These animals are most famous for “playing possum.” When threatened by dogs, foxes, or bobcats, opossums sometimes flop onto their sides and lie on the ground with their eyes closed or staring fixedly into space. They extend their tongues and generally appear to be dead. This ploy may put a predator off its guard and allow the opossum an opportunity to make its escape. ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/group/opossums/ )