F/5.6, 1/20, ISO 500.
Day 295 / 365
Why is the railroad angry?
Because people are always crossing it!
Interesting Fact: The streets of New York were very crowded in the late 1800s. Inventor Alfred Ely Beach wanted to build a train underground. The government said no. So, he built it in secret, digging out of the rented basement of an apartment store. His subway opened in 1870. ( http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-trains/ )
F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 500.
Green-Winged Teal
Day 292 / 365
A duck, a skunk and a deer went out for dinner at a restaurant one night.
When it came time to pay,
the skunk didn’t have a scent,
the deer didn’t have a buck,
so they put the meal on the duck’s bill.
Interesting Fact: Green-winged Teal, more than any other species of duck, prefer to seek food on mud flats. Where mud flats are lacking, they prefer shallow marshes or temporarily flooded agricultural lands. They usually eat vegetative matter consisting of seeds, stems, and leaves of aquatic and emergent vegetation. ( http://www.withmephotographyblog.com/8-interesting-facts-about-the-green-winged-teal )
F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 250.
Peregrine Falcon
Day 291 / 365
What birds spend all their time on their knees?
Birds of prey!
Interesting Fact: The name “peregrine” means wanderer, and the Peregrine Falcon has one of the longest migrations of any North American bird. Tundra-nesting falcons winter in South America, and may move 25,000 km (15,500 mi) in a year. Maps of the migration of individual falcons determined by satellite telemetry can be seen at Environment Canada. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Peregrine_Falcon/lifehistory )
F/ 9.0, 1/400, ISO160.
Day 290 / 365
What did the tree say to autumn?
Leaf me alone.
Interesting Fact: Evergreen trees will not lose their leaves like deciduous trees. Their leaves, also called needles, are covered with a thick wax. This wax protects the inner components of the needles, preventing them from freezing. ( http://www.richmond.com/life/celebrations/article_aa9e91de-402a-11e4-8c0f-001a4bcf6878.html )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 800.
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Day 289 / 365
When is the best time to buy birds?
When they’re going cheap!
Interesting Fact: The tiny Golden-crowned Kinglet is hardier than it looks, routinely wintering in areas where nighttime temperatures can fall below –40° Fahrenheit. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden-crowned_Kinglet/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/80, ISO 1000.
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Day 288 / 365
I was in a park earlier and I saw a “keep off the grass” sign.
I couldn’t help but think… how did it get there?
Interesting Fact: Yellow-rumped Warblers are perhaps the most versatile foragers of all warblers. They’re the warbler you’re most likely to see fluttering out from a tree to catch a flying insect, and they’re also quick to switch over to eating berries in fall. Other places Yellow-rumped Warblers have been spotted foraging include picking at insects on washed-up seaweed at the beach, skimming insects from the surface of rivers and the ocean, picking them out of spiderwebs, and grabbing them off piles of manure. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-rumped_Warbler/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 5600.
American Tree Sparrow
Day 287 / 365
Older couple were walking through the park when a sparrow flew overhead. The bird poop landed right on old man’s head.
Seeing the mess, old woman said, “I wish we had some toilet tissue.”
The Old man replied, “What good would it do. He’s probably a half a mile away by now.”
Interesting Fact: American Tree Sparrows need to take in about 30 percent of their body weight in food and a similar percentage in water each day. A full day’s fasting is usually a death sentence. Their body temperature drops and they lose nearly a fifth of their weight in that short time. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Tree_Sparrow/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 6400.
Pied-Billed Grebe ( Juvenile )
Day 286 / 365
What robs you while you’re in the bathtub?
A robber ducky.
Interesting Fact: Pied-billed Grebes can trap water in their feathers, giving them great control over their buoyancy. They can sink deeply or stay just at or below the surface, exposing as much or as little of the body as they wish. The water-trapping ability may also aid in the pursuit of prey by reducing drag in turbulent water. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-billed_Grebe/lifehistory )
F/11.0, 1/640, ISO800.
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker ( Juvenile )
Day 284 / 365
I used to have a woodpecker called Woody, until he attacked my fiancé.
I still can’t believe Woody would peck her.
Interesting Fact: The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker makes two kinds of holes in trees to harvest sap. Round holes extend deep in the tree and are not enlarged. The sapsucker inserts its bill into the hole to probe for sap. Rectangular holes are shallower, and must be maintained continually for the sap to flow. The sapsucker licks the sap from these holes, and eats the cambium of the tree too. New holes usually are made in a line with old holes, or in a new line above the old. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-bellied_Sapsucker/lifehistory )
F/ 4.8, 5.0, ISO 500.
Day 282 / 365
What often falls but never gets hurt?
Rain
Interesting Fact: Rain occurs on other planets in our Solar System but it is different to the rain we experience here on Earth. For example, rain on Venus is made of sulfuric acid and due to the intense heat it evaporates before it even reaches the surface! ( http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/weather/rain.html )
Through Open Lens 