F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 400.
Black-capped Chickadee
Two snakes are talking.
One of them turns to the other and asks, “Are we venomous?”
The other replays, “Yes, why?…”
“I just bit ma lip.”
Interesting Fact: Most birds that associate with chickadee flocks respond to chickadee alarm calls, even when their own species doesn’t have a similar alarm call. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/lifehistory )
F/10.0, 1/400 ISO 320.
Sandhill Cranes
Did you hear the one about the roof?
Never mind, it’s over your head.
Interesting Fact: Sandhill Cranes mate for life, choosing their partners based on dancing displays. Displaying birds stretch their wings, pump their heads, bow, and leap into the air. Although each female usually lays two eggs, only one nestling typically survives to fledge. Mated pairs and their juvenile offspring stay together all through the winter, until the 9- to 10-month-old juveniles finally separate from their parents the following spring. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/lifehistory )
F/7.1, 1/800, ISO 200.
Common Tern
Why do you always see teen girls in groups of three?
Because they literally can’t even.
Interesting Fact: Males and females make a small scrape on the ground. Females add dead vegetation that has washed onshore, shell fragments, bones, stones, and sometimes plastic to the nest scrape before and after laying eggs. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Tern/lifehistory )
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 )
F/6.3, 1/2000, ISO 320.
Red-tailed Hawk
What does a teddy bear say when you offer it a sandwich?
“No thanks, I’m stuffed”
Interesting Fact: Red-tailed Hawks mated pairs typically stay together until one of the pair dies. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/lifehistory )
F/10.0, 1/250, ISO 125.
Dragonfly
What does a baby computer call its dad?
Data
Interesting Fact: Dragonflies are powerful and agile fliers, capable of migrating across oceans, moving in any direction, and changing direction suddenly. In flight, the adult dragonfly can propel itself in six directions: upward, downward, forward, back, to left and to right.[47] They have four different styles of flight:[48] A number of flying modes are used that include counter-stroking, with forewings beating 180° out of phase with the hindwings, is used for hovering and slow flight. This style is efficient and generates a large amount of lift; phased-stroking, with the hindwings beating 90° ahead of the forewings, is used for fast flight. This style creates more thrust, but less lift than counter-stroking; synchronised-stroking, with forewings and hindwings beating together, is used when changing direction rapidly, as it maximises thrust; and gliding, with the wings held out, is used in three situations: free gliding, for a few seconds in between bursts of powered flight; gliding in the updraft at the crest of a hill, effectively hovering by falling at the same speed as the updraft; and in certain dragonflies such as darters, when “in cop” with a male, the female sometimes simply glides while the male pulls the pair along by beating his wings. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly#Flight )
F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 320.
Great Blue Heron
Why haven’t aliens visited our solar system?
They checked the reviews and we only have one star.
Interesting Fact: Nest building can take from 3 days up to 2 weeks; the finished nest can range from a simple platform measuring 20 inches across to more elaborate structures used over multiple years, reaching 4 feet across and nearly 3.5 feet deep. Ground-nesting herons use vegetation such as salt grass to form the nest. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 100.
Red-tailed Hawk
Why did the witches’ team lose the baseball game?
Their bats flew away.
Interesting Fact: Red-tailed Hawks typically put their nests in the crowns of tall trees where they have a commanding view of the landscape. They may also nest on a cliff ledge or on artificial structures such as window ledges and billboard platforms. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/lifehistory )
F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 125.
Osprey
What did the fish say when he posted bail?
“I’m off the hook!”
Interesting Fact: The Osprey is the only hawk on the continent that eats almost exclusively live fish. In North America, more than 80 species of live fresh- and saltwater fish account for 99 percent of the Osprey’s diet. Captured fish usually measure about 6–13 inches in length and weigh one-third to two-thirds of a pound. The largest catch on record weighed about 2.5 pounds. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/lifehistory )
F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 200.
Brown Pelican
Why Did the Robber Take a Shower?
He wanted to make a clean getaway.
Interesting Fact: While the Brown Pelican is draining the water from its bill after a dive, gulls often try to steal the fish right out of its pouch—sometimes while perching on the pelican’s head. Pelicans themselves are not above stealing fish, as they follow fishing boats and hang around piers for handouts. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican )
