F/7.1, 1/200. ISO 125.
Great Egret
What did the Buffalo say to his little boy when he dropped him off at school?
Bison.
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. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 200.
Great Egret
What do you call a man with a rubber toe?
Roberto.
Interesting Fact: Though it mainly hunts while wading, the Great Egret occasionally swims to capture prey or hovers (somewhat laboriously) over the water and dips for fish. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret )
F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 800.
Great Egret
Why did the lady quit her job at the orange juice factory?
She couldn’t concentrate.
Interesting Fact: Males choose the display areas, where nests are later constructed. The nest itself is up to 100 feet off the ground, often over water, usually in or near the top of a shrub or tree such as a redwood, tamarisk, live oak, eastern redcedar, yaupon holly, wax myrtle, mangrove, Australian pine, buttonwood, Brazilian pepper, black willow, or privet. Great Egrets occasionally nest on the ground or on artificial platforms. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret/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/10.0, 1/640, ISO 250.
Belted Kingfisher
What did the salad say to the fridge?
Shut the door, I’m dressing!
Interesting Fact: Pleistocene fossils of Belted Kingfishers (to 600,000 years old) have been unearthed in Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, and Texas. The oldest known fossil in the kingfisher genus is 2 million years old, found in Alachua County, Florida. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO200.
Osprey
What does the man in the moon do when his hair gets too long?
Eclipse it!
Interesting Fact: Ospreys hunt by diving to the water’s surface from some 30 to 100 feet (9 to 30 meters) up. They have gripping pads on their feet to help them pluck fish from the water with their curved claws and carry them for great distances. In flight, ospreys will orient the fish headfirst to ease wind resistance. ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/o/osprey/ )
F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 400.
Belted Kingfisher
Day 339 / 365
A guy calls his boss and says “I can’t come to work today
The boss asks why and the guy says “It’s my eyes.”
“What’s wrong with your eyes?” asks the boss.
“I just can’t see myself coming to work, so I’m going fishing instead….”
Interesting Fact: As nestlings, Belted Kingfishers have acidic stomachs that help them digest bones, fish scales, and arthropod shells. But by the time they leave the nest, their stomach chemistry apparently changes, and they begin regurgitating pellets which accumulate on the ground around fishing and roosting perches. Scientists can dissect these pellets to learn about the kingfisher’s diet without harming or even observing any wild birds. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher/lifehistory )
F/ 6.3, 1/160, ISO 320.
Great Blue Heron
Day 273 / 365
What holiday is observed by all birds?
Feather’s Day!
Interesting Fact: Great Blue Herons aren’t likely to visit a typical backyard. However, they are sometimes unwelcome visitors to yards that include fish ponds. A length of drain pipe placed in the pond can provide fish with a place to hide from feeding herons. Herons, like most of our birds, are legally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_blue_heron/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/1250, ISO 400.
Snowy Egret
Day 164 / 365
Why does the Egret stand on one leg?
Because if it lifts the other leg, it falls.
Interesting Fact: At the end of the nineteenth century, the beautiful plumes of the Snowy Egret were in great demand by market hunters as decorations for women’s hats. In 1886, plumes were valued at $32 per ounce, which was twice the price of gold at the time. They were hunted nearly to extinction before laws were passed to protect them. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/48/_/Snowy_Egret.aspx )
Through Open Lens 