F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 320.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Where does a tree store their stuff?
In there Trunk!
Interesting Fact: The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher’s grayish coloring and long tail, as well as the way it mixes snippets of other birds’ repertoires into its own high, nasal songs, have earned it the nickname “Little Mockingbird.” ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue-gray_Gnatcatcher )
F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 200.
Snowy Egret
Why did the scarecrow win an award?
Because he was outstanding in his field.
Interesting Fact: Adult Snowy Egrets have greenish-yellow feet for most of the year, but at the height of the breeding season their feet take on a much richer, orange-yellow hue. The bare skin on their face also changes color, from yellow to reddish. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Egret )
F/ 6.3, 1/80, ISO 640.
Turkey Vulture
Two vultures are in a field, eating a dead clown.
One vulture says to the other, “Does this taste funny to you?”
Interesting Fact: Turkey Vultures nest in rock crevices, caves, ledges, thickets, mammal burrows and hollow logs, fallen trees, abandoned hawk or heron nests, and abandoned buildings. These nest sites are typically much cooler (by 13°F or more) than surroundings, and isolated from human traffic or disturbance. While they often feed near humans, Turkey Vultures prefer to nest far away from civilization. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Turkey_Vulture/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 160.
Least Sandpiper
A Sandwich walks into a bar.
The bartender says “Sorry, we don’t serve food here”
Interesting Fact: Researchers studying Least Sandpipers discovered a new feeding mechanism. While probing damp mud with their bills, the sandpipers use the surface tension of the water to transport prey quickly from their bill tips to their mouths. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Least_Sandpiper/ )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320.
Mute Swan
Why did The Joker have to sleep with his lights on?
Because he was afraid of the Dark Knight.
Interesting Fact: Short legs placed well back on the body give Mute Swans an awkward walking gait, but the birds can run quickly if pursued and can take off from land and water, flying with head and neck extended. On the water they sometimes hold their wings slightly raised and “sail” with the wind. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mute_Swan/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO800.
American Black Duck
What says “Quick, Quick”?
A duck with the hiccups.
Interesting Fact: If a mother is killed or separated from her brood, another Black Duck with ducklings of her own, regardless of their age, will quickly adopt the orphans. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/392/_/American_Black_Duck.aspx )
F/ 5.6, 1/250, ISO 720.
Mallard
What does a duck do first when making an omelet?
He quacks some eggs.
Interesting Fact: The widespread Mallard has given rise to a number of populations around the world that have changed enough that they could be considered separate species. The “Mexican Duck” of central Mexico and the extreme southwestern United States and the Hawaiian Duck both are closely related to the Mallard, and in both forms the male is dull like the female. The Mexican Duck currently is considered a subspecies of the Mallard, while the Hawaiian Duck is still given full species status. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/40, ISO 500.
Red Fox
Why did the man lose his job at the orange juice factory?
He couldn’t concentrate!
Interesting Fact: In winter, foxes meet to mate. The vixen (female) typically gives birth to a litter of 2 to 12 pups. At birth, red foxes are actually brown or gray. A new red coat usually grows in by the end of the first month, but some red foxes are golden, reddish-brown, silver, or even black. Both parents care for their young through the summer before they are able to strike out on their own in the fall. ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/r/red-fox/ )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 100.
Northern Mockingbird
What’s a monsters favorite desert?
I-Scream!
Interesting Fact: Northern Mockingbirds continue to add new sounds to their repertoires throughout their lives. A male may learn around 200 songs throughout its life. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/lifehistory )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 400.
White-throated Sparrow
A man asked a waiter. “What is this fly doing in my soup?”
The waiter replied. “It looks like its swimming sir.”
Interesting Fact: During the breeding season the males are aggressive, chasing each other off their territories. “White-striped” forms tend to be more aggressive than “tan-striped” forms. Later in the breeding season this aggressiveness declines, and by fall White-throated Sparrows form large flocks that forage together. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-throated_Sparrow/lifehistory )
Through Open Lens 