Fishing Bird

Don’t Rush Me I’m Waiting For The Last Minute!

November 4, 2023 — 2 Comments

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 800.

Belted Kingfisher

Why can’t you write with a broken pencil?

Because it’s pointless.

Interesting Fact: During breeding season the Belted Kingfisher pair defends a territory against other kingfishers. A territory along a stream includes just the streambed and the vegetation along it, and averages 0.6 mile long. The nest burrow is usually in a dirt bank near water. The tunnel slopes upward from the entrance, perhaps to keep water from entering the nest. Tunnel length ranges from 1 to 8 feet. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher )

 

 

May The Fish Be With You!

September 17, 2023 — 14 Comments

F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 200.

Great Egret 

What did the ghost teacher say to her class?

Watch the board and I’ll go through it again.

Interesting Fact: Visit a pond or coastal marsh and look for an all-white bird—slightly smaller than a Great Blue Heron, with black legs and a yellow bill. It may be wading slowly or standing stock-still, peering intently at the water as it searches for fish. If you live outside of the species’ breeding range, you may still see Great Egrets in late summer as they move about widely before heading to their wintering grounds. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret )

 

I Need A Hug!

September 15, 2023 — 4 Comments

F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 200.

Double-Crested Cormorant 

What do birds do on their free time?

They check their Twitter account.

Interesting Fact: Double-crested cormorants are gregarious birds that are almost always near water. Their main two activities are fishing and resting, with more than half their day spent on the latter. When at rest, a cormorant will choose an exposed spot on a bare branch or a windblown rock, and often spread its wings out, which is thought to be a means of drying their feathers after fishing. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Double-crested_Cormorant/lifehistory )

 

I Enjoy Long Romantic Walks On The Beach

August 12, 2023 — 12 Comments

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 250.

Great Blue Heron 

Why did the fish blush?

Because it saw the ocean’s bottom.

Interesting Fact: Great Blue Herons forage, usually alone, across much of the U.S. This largest of the North American herons wades slowly or stands stock still, peering into the water for prey. 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 )

 

 

They Don’t Call Me King For Nothing

June 19, 2023 — 12 Comments

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 200.

Belted Kingfisher

What is a baby’s motto?

If at first you don’t succeed cry cry again!

Interesting Fact: The breeding distribution of the Belted Kingfisher is limited in some areas by the availability of suitable nesting sites. Human activity, such as road building and digging gravel pits, has created banks where kingfishers can nest and allowed the expansion of the breeding range. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher/lifehistory )

A Top Of The Tree To You

May 23, 2023 — 19 Comments

F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 400.

Great Blue Heron

A neutron walks into a bar and says,

“I’d like a beer. How much will that be?”

The bartender responds,

“For you? No charge!”

Interesting Fact:  Great Blue Herons congregate at fish hatcheries, creating potential problems for the fish farmers. A study found that herons ate mostly diseased fish that would have died shortly anyway. Sick fish spent more time near the surface of the water where they were more vulnerable to the herons.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/lifehistory )

Do Not Cross Me I Have My Fancy Pants On Today!

May 19, 2023 — 23 Comments

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 )

Fish Out Of The Water!

May 17, 2023 — 4 Comments

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 250.

Common Terns

How do birds fly?

They just wing it!

Interesting Fact: Common Terns nest in colonies on the ground in areas with loose sand, gravel, shell, or cobble pebbles typically less than 350 feet from the water. They tend to choose areas with scattered, low-growing vegetation to provide cover for chicks.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Tern/lifehistory )

Even Though You’re Fed Up. You Gotta Keep Your Head Up.

April 11, 2023 — 8 Comments

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 250.

Double-crested Cormorant 

What do you call someone without a nose or a body?

Nobodynose.

Interesting Fact: Both Double-crested Cormorant mates work on the nest, with the male bringing most of the material and the female doing the building. The nest is mostly made of finger-size sticks, with some seaweed and flotsam, and lined with grass. Nests are 1.5 to 3 feet in diameter and 4 to 17 inches high; ground nests tend to be wider than tree nests, but tree nests have deeper interiors. Breeding cormorants readily steal nesting materials from a nearby nest that’s not guarded. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Double-crested_Cormorant/lifehistory )

It’s Good To Be The King

April 10, 2023 — 4 Comments

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 250.

Belted Kingfisher

What do you call a pig that does karate?

A pork chop.

Interesting Fact: Belted Kingfishers excavate burrows in earthen banks, usually avoiding ones with vegetation (especially trees, whose roots get in the way of digging). They generally choose a bank near water, but may use a ditch, road cut, landfill, sand pit, or gravel pit far from water. A pair may select a nest site during courtship, usually high in the bank where floodwaters are unlikely to reach. The male probes the bank with his bill, flying back and forth to the female, who calls continuously from a nearby perch. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher/lifehistory )