F/13.0, 1/640, ISO 320.
Barn Swallow
What did the blanket say to the bed?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!
Interesting Fact: According to legend, the Barn Swallow got its forked tail because it stole fire from the gods to bring to people. An angry deity hurled a firebrand at the swallow, singeing away its middle tail feathers. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Swallow/lifehistory )
F/13.0, 1/640, ISO 250.
Red-tailed Hawk
How do trees access the internet?
They log in.
Interesting Fact: Red-tailed Hawks occupy just about every type of open habitat on the continent. This includes desert, scrublands, grasslands, roadsides, fields and pastures, parks, broken woodland, and (in Mexico) tropical rainforest. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/lifehistory )
F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 320.
Laughing Gull
Why is a river rich?
It has banks on both sides.
Interesting Fact: The adult Laughing Gull removes the eggshells from the nest after the eggs hatch. If the shells are not removed, a piece can become lodged on top of the slightly smaller unhatched third egg and prevent it from hatching. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Laughing_Gull/lifehistory )
F/13.0, 1/640, ISO 250.
Osprey
What did the fish say when he swam into the wall?
Dam!
Interesting Fact: Ospreys are unusual among hawks in possessing a reversible outer toe that allows them to grasp with two toes in front and two behind. Barbed pads on the soles of the birds’ feet help them grip slippery fish. When flying with prey, an Osprey lines up its catch head first for less wind resistance. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/lifehistory )
F/ 9.0, 1/320, ISO 250.
Brown Pelicans
Why does Piglet smell so bad?
Because he plays with Pooh.
Interesting Fact: Pelicans usually feed above estuaries and shallow ocean waters within 12 miles of shore, but sometimes venture over the deeper waters past the narrow continental shelf of the Pacific coast. They occasionally feed by sitting on the surface and seizing prey with their bills, like other pelican species, usually when a dense school of fish is close to the surface and the water is too shallow and muddy to plunge. They also steal food from other seabirds, scavenge dead animals, and eat invertebrates such as prawns. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican/lifehistory )
F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 160.
Common Tern
What do you call cheese that is not yours?
Nacho Cheese
Interesting Fact: Plunges into water from flight; may hover briefly before plunging. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Tern/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 250.
Great Blue Heron
Why was strawberry sad?
Because her mom was in a jam.
Interesting Fact: Great Blue Herons nest mainly in trees, but will also nest on the ground, on bushes, in mangroves, and on structures such as duck blinds, channel markers, or artificial nest platforms. Males arrive at the colony and settle on nest sites; from there, they court passing females. Colonies can consist of 500 or more individual nests, with multiple nests per tree built 100 or more feet off the ground. ( https://throughopenlens.com/tag/great-blue-heron/ )
F/7.1, 1/800, ISO 200.
Common Tern
What did the stamp say to the envelope?
Stick with me and we will go places!
Interesting Fact: The incubating adult Common Tern flies off its nest to defecate 5-50 m (16-160 ft) away. It deposits its feces indiscriminately in nearby water or on the territories of other terns. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Tern/lifehistory )
F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 200.
Great Egret
What did the inventor of the door knocker win?
The no bell prize.
Interesting Fact: The male builds a nest platform from long sticks and twigs before pairing up with a female, and then both members of the pair may collaborate to complete the nest, though the male sometimes finishes it himself. The nest is up to 3 feet across and 1 foot deep. It is lined with pliable plant material that dries to form a cup structure. They don’t typically reuse nests from year to year. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret/lifehistory )
F/11.0 , 1/500, ISO 320.
Northern Harrier
Why are the middle ages sometimes called the Dark Ages?
Because they had so many knights.
Interesting Fact: Northern Harriers usually fly slowly and low over the ground, their wings held in a V-shape as they glide. Most males have either one mate or two mates at a time, but some have up to five mates when food is abundant. Each male courts females and advertises his territory by performing sky-dancing displays: undulating, rollercoaster-like flights up to 1,000 feet off the ground, sometimes covering more than half a mile. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/lifehistory )
