flight

Hold It Until We Find A Clean Car!

February 13, 2022 — 8 Comments

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 200. 

Brown Pelican

How do you make holy water?

Boil the hell out of it!

Interesting Fact: Though they have an awkward gait on land, Brown Pelicans are strong swimmers and masterful fliers. They fly to and from their fishing grounds in V-formations or lines just above the water’s surface. They and the closely related Peruvian Pelican are the only pelican species to perform spectacular head-first dives (typically ending in a huge splash visible from far away) to trap fish.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican/lifehistory )

Here’s Looking At You, Kid

January 29, 2022 — 18 Comments

F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 320.

Red-tailed Hawk

Why can you never trust atoms?

They make up everything!

Interesting Fact: Birds are amazingly adapted for life in the air. The Red-tailed Hawk is one of the largest birds you’ll see in North America, yet even the biggest females weigh in at only about 3 pounds. A similar-sized small dog might weigh 10 times that. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/lifehistory )

Your Wings Already Exist All You Have To Do Is Fly

January 28, 2022 — 24 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 200.

Great Egret 

Why did the reporter rush into the ice cream shop?

He was looking for a scoop.

Interesting Fact: Not all young that hatch survive the nestling period. Aggression among nestlings is common and large chicks frequently kill their smaller siblings. This behavior, known as siblicide, is not uncommon among birds such as hawks, owls, and herons, and is often a result of poor breeding conditions in a given year. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret/lifehistory )

Are You Tailing Me Because That Would Be Super!

January 24, 2022 — 22 Comments

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 )

Now That’s What I Call Spread Eagle!

January 6, 2022 — 39 Comments

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F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320.

Bald Eagle ( Juvenile )

What does the eagle say to his friends before they go out hunting for food ?

“Let us prey.”

Interesting Fact: The largest Bald Eagle nest on record, in St. Petersburg, Florida, was 2.9 meters in diameter and 6.1 meters tall. Another famous nest—in Vermilion, Ohio—was shaped like a wine glass and weighed almost two metric tons. It was used for 34 years until the tree blew down. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/lifehistory )

Todays Post Has Been Brought To You By The Letter “S”.

November 9, 2021 — 4 Comments

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 400.

Great Egret

What do lawyers wear to court?

Lawsuits!

Interesting Fact: The Great Egret walks with its neck extended and its wings held close to its body. In flight, it is graceful and buoyant, with its neck tucked back against its shoulders and its legs trailing behind. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_egret/lifehistory )

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

November 5, 2021 — 20 Comments

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 )

What Goes Up Must Come Down!

October 9, 2021 — 8 Comments

F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 250.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

What did the birthday balloon say to the pin?

”Hi, Buster.”

Interesting Fact:  The convention has also become a major showcase of New Mexican culture and history and features numerous cultural exhibitions .The fiesta is one of Albuquerque’s largest tourist attractions and constitutes a major source of income for the city and local businesses. In 2015, the fiesta logged 955,703 visitors.[4] Typically, tourists and fiesta visitors take thousands of pictures of the balloons, so it is no surprise that for several years the fiesta was sponsored by Kodak and was given the title, the Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, though that title was usually only used in print ads and on official memorabilia. In 2018 the fiesta is being presented by Canon, a Japanese camera and imaging company.[5]  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque_International_Balloon_Fiesta#Local_impact )

Who Let Baloons Out!

October 8, 2021 — 10 Comments

F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 250.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Did you hear about the pig who tried to start a hot-air balloon business?

He couldn’t get it off the ground.

Interesting Fact: The success of the Fiesta depends in part on the cool Albuquerque morning temperatures in October and the Albuquerque box. The “box” is a set of predictable wind patterns that can be exploited to navigate the balloons. At low elevations the winds tend to be northerly (from the north), but at higher elevations they tend to be southerly. Balloonists use these winds to navigate in a vertical box: they ascend slightly from the launch park, move south, ascend further, move north, descend, and repeat the box or land back in the launch park or quite nearby. During events involving on-field targets, such as the “Key Grab” (where pilots attempt to grab prizes, including a set of keys to a new vehicle, from atop tall, flexible poles), it’s not uncommon to see the same balloon make 5 or 6 passes at the targets, simply by working the “Box” to keep returning to the field.  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque_International_Balloon_Fiesta#Albuquerque_box )

When Pink Elephants Fly!

October 7, 2021 — 17 Comments

F/13.0, 1/640, ISO 250.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost.

He reduces his altitude and spots a man down below.

He lowers the balloon further and shouts: ”Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?”

The man below says: ”Yes, you’re in a hot air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field.”

”You must work in Technical Support,” says the balloonist.

”I do,” replies the man. ”How did you know?”

”Well” says the balloonist, ”everything you have told me is technically correct, but completely useless.”

The man below says: ”You must be in management.”

”I am,” replies the balloonist, ”but how did you know?”

”Well”, says the man, ”you don’t know where you are, or where you’re going, but you expect me to be able to help. You’re still in the same position you were before we met, but now it’s my fault.”

Interesting Fact:  The Balloon Fiesta grew each year for decades, and today is the largest balloon convention in the world. The number of registered balloons reached a peak of 1,019 in 2000, prompting the Balloon Fiesta Board to limit the number to 750 starting in 2001,[3] citing a desire for “quality over quantity”. The limit was changed to 600 in 2009 — citing recent growth in the city and a loss of landing zones. On any given day during the festival, up to 100,000 spectators may be on the launch field where they are provided the rare opportunity to observe inflation and take off procedures. Countless more people gather at landing sites all over the city to watch incoming balloons.  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque_International_Balloon_Fiesta#History )