Nikon bird

What Was That?

October 26, 2020 — 15 Comments

F/13.0, 1/500, ISO 800.

Northern Cardinal ( Female )

Why couldn’t the leopard play hide and seek?

Because he was always spotted.

Interesting Fact: A week or two before the female starts building, she starts to visit possible nest sites with the male following along. The pair call back and forth and hold nesting material in their bills as they assess each site. Nests tend to be wedged into a fork of small branches in a sapling, shrub, or vine tangle, 1-15 feet high and hidden in dense foliage. They use many kinds of trees and shrubs, including dogwood, honeysuckle, hawthorn, grape, redcedar, spruce, pines, hemlock, rose bushes, blackberry brambles, elms, sugar maples, and box elders. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/lifehistory )

Work Is Just A Daily Detour On My Way To Happy Hour!

October 13, 2020 — 7 Comments

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 320.

American Coot

What did the rug say to the floor?

Don’t move, I’ve got you covered.

Interesting Fact: Although it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. Instead, each one of the coot’s long toes has broad lobes of skin that help it kick through the water. The broad lobes fold back each time the bird lifts its foot, so it doesn’t impede walking on dry land, though it supports the bird’s weight on mucky ground. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_coot )

I Woke Up Early, There Was No Worm!

October 9, 2020 — 2 Comments

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 250.

Sandhill Crane

Where do fortune tellers dance?

At the crystal ball.

Interesting Fact: The earliest Sandhill Crane fossil, estimated to be 2.5 million years old, was unearthed in the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/ )

Have You Hugged A Tree Today?

October 7, 2020 — 18 Comments

F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 320.

Brown Creeper

How do you make a tissue dance?

Put a little boogie in it.

Interesting Fact: The Brown Creeper builds a hammock-like nest behind a loosened flap of bark on a dead or dying tree. It wasn’t until 1879 that naturalists discovered this unique nesting strategy. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Creeper/lifehistory )

Sing… The World Needs More Music!

October 1, 2020 — 14 Comments

F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 320.

Yellow Warbler Immature (Northern)

How do you make an egg laugh?

Tell it a yolk.

Interesting Fact: In addition to the migratory form of the Yellow Warbler that breeds in North America, several other resident forms can be found in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Males in these populations can have chestnut caps or even chestnut covering the entire head. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/overview )

Headbanger!

September 30, 2020 — 28 Comments

F/6.3, 1/100, ISO 320.

Pileated Woodpecker

Two men visit a prostitute.

The first man goes into the bedroom. He comes out ten minutes later and says, “Heck. My wife is better than that.”

The second man goes in. He comes out ten minutes later and says, “You know? Your wife IS better.”

Interesting Fact: The Pileated Woodpecker prefers large trees for nesting. In young forests, it will use any large trees remaining from before the forest was cut. Because these trees are larger than the rest of the forest, they present a lightning hazard to the nesting birds. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker  )

Bluetiful!

September 29, 2020 — 43 Comments

F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 400.

Blue Jay

Where do cows go for entertainment?

The mooooo-vies!

Interesting Fact:  The Blue Jay frequently mimics the calls of hawks, especially the Red-shouldered Hawk. These calls may provide information to other jays that a hawk is around, or may be used to deceive other species into believing a hawk is present. (  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay/lifehistory )

“So What’s So Great About Being OnLine?! “

September 24, 2020 — 12 Comments

monk-parakeets-online

F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 200.

Monk Parakeets

What is a parrot’s favorite game?

Hide and Speak!

Interesting Fact: In their native Argentina, Monk Parakeets sometimes adopt old nests of other species. Some ornithologists have suggested that this behavior may have been the first step, evolutionarily speaking, to transitioning from nesting in tree cavities to constructing stick nests. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Monk_Parakeet/lifehistory )

Swim Your Worries Away!

September 22, 2020 — 4 Comments

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 400.

Northern Shoveler 

A jumper cable walks into a bar.

The bartender says, “I’ll serve you, but don’t start anything.”

Interesting Fact: Northern Shovelers don’t just occur in the Americas, they also breed across Europe and spend the winter throughout Europe, Africa, and India. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Shoveler )

Things Are Looking Up!

September 16, 2020 — 19 Comments

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 160.

Hispaniolan Woodpecker

What can you serve but never eat?

A volleyball.

Interesting Fact: This bird is endemic to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, its range extending from the coasts, over the deserts to the mountains in the centre of the island. It is mostly a woodland bird, found in both wet and dry, broadleaved and coniferous forests, but also occurs in mosaic forests, plantations, cactus scrub, mangrove areas, swamps, grassland, palm groves, wooded agricultural areas and urban parks. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispaniolan_woodpecker )