life

Bellllyyyy Floooop!

April 15, 2023 — 15 Comments

F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 320.

Bufflehead Duck

Why are hairdressers never late for work?

Because they know all the short cuts!

Interesting Fact: Bufflehead nest only in cavities, using holes dug by Northern Flickers and sometimes Pileated Woodpeckers (as well as artificial nest boxes). In the summer, females that are too young to breed, or whose nests have failed, fly around in noisy groups and scope out the available nest holes for the following breeding season. Just before laying, females make more secretive flights to prospective holes, either alone or with their mates. They usually choose cavities in poplar or aspen trees, except in California where they often use pine trees. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bufflehead/lifehistory )

The Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time!

April 14, 2023 — 12 Comments

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 320.

Palm Warbler

What’s red and bad for your teeth?

A brick.

Interesting Fact: Though the Palm Warbler’s name might imply it is a tropical bird, it’s actually one of the northernmost breeding of all warblers (only the Blackpoll Warbler breeds farther north). They got their name from J. P. Gmelin who named them based on a specimen collected on Hispaniola, a Caribbean island with a lot of palm trees. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Palm_Warbler )

If You Dare Come A Little Closer!

April 13, 2023 — 9 Comments

F/8.0, 1/1000, ISO 200.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

What did the big chimney say to the little chimney?

“You’re too young to smoke.”

 Interesting Fact: Some populations stay in one place year-round, while others disperse short distances of 5–60 miles. Others migrate farther, such as from Massachusetts to Florida and the Caribbean, or from Alberta to Mexico and Cuba. Migrants follow the coast or the Mississippi River flyway. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-crowned_Night-Heron/lifehistory )

Keep Calm And Quack On!

April 12, 2023 — 21 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 200.

Red-breasted Merganser  

A motorist in a B.M.W. was driving through the countryside on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, having a lovely time, when he came to an area of the road that was covered with a rather large puddle of water from a previous rain storm. Worried that he was going to damage the car and its engine in the deep water, he spotted a nearby farmer and asked how deep the water was. “Arr”, said the local farmer “That water only be a few inches deep!” Relieved, the motorist edged his car into the water, expecting to come out the other side in no time. Instead, as he drove in, the water came right up the side of the car, and the engine sputtered to a halt. Sitting there in his soaking wet luxury car, the motorist yelled at the local angrily: “I thought you said this water was only a few inches deep!!!” “Well,” replied the local farmer “It only come up to the waist of them there ducks!”

Interesting Fact: It prefers salt water more than the other two species of merganser. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/115/overview/Red-breasted_Merganser.aspx )

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 )

Easter Is The Only Time Of The Year When It’s Perfectly Safe To Put All Your Eggs In One Basket.

April 9, 2023 — 4 Comments

Happy Easter Everyone! 

F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 250.

Desert Cottontail Rabbit

What did the Easter Egg say to the boiling water?

It’s going to take awhile to get me hard I just got layed by some chick!

Interesting Fact:  Many desert animals prey on cottontails, including birds of prey, mustelids, the coyote, the bobcat, the lynx, wolves, mountain lions, snakes, weasels, humans, and even squirrels, should a cottontail be injured or docile from illness.[22] Alien species, such as cats and dogs, are also known predators, and also pose a threat.[12] Southwestern Native Americans hunted them for meat but also used their fur and hides. It is also considered a game species, due to which it is hunted for sport.[12] The desert cottontail’s normal behavior upon spotting a potential predator is to freeze in place in an attempt to avoid being detected. If it determines that it is in danger, it will flee the area by hopping away in a zigzag pattern.[23] Cottontails can reach speeds of over 30 km/h (19 mph). When defending itself against small predators or other desert cottontails, it will nudge with its nose, or slap with its front paws, usually preceded by a hop straight upwards as high as two feet when threatened or taken by surprise. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_cottontail )

Buck Off!

April 8, 2023 — 16 Comments

F/6.3, 1/125, ISO 640.

White-Tailed Deer

I give a dead battery away today…

Free of charge!

Interesting Fact: Males regrow their antlers every year. About one in 10,000 females also has antlers, although this is usually associated with freemartinism. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_deer ) 

It Will Be A Good Day As Long As You Won’t Hit Or Bite Anyone!

April 7, 2023 — 9 Comments

F/6.3, 1/80, ISO 320.

Common Yellowthroat

Why is Peter Pan always flying?

Because he neverlands.

Interesting Fact: Each male normally has only one mate in his territory during a breeding season. However, a female’s mating calls often attract other males, and she may mate with them behind her mate’s back. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Yellowthroat/ )

Blue Looks Good On You!

April 6, 2023 — 14 Comments

F/5.6, 1/160, ISO 320.

California Scrub-Jay

Why did Papa Smurf send Smurfette to see a doctor???

She was always feeling blue…

Interesting Fact: Look closely, and you’ll see an intriguing difference between the California Scrub-Jay and its close relative, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay. The bill of a California Scrub-Jay is stout and hooked, giving it extra power and grip as the birds hammer open acorns in their oak woodland habitats. By comparison, Woodhouse’s have thinner, more pointed bills that nimbly reach deep into pinyon pine cones to pull out the pine nuts inside. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Scrub-Jay )