F/10.0, 1/320, ISO 320
Brown-headed Cowbird
What did the traffic light say to the car?
Don’t look, I’m changing.
Interesting Fact: Cowbird eggs hatch faster than other species eggs, giving cowbird nestlings a head start in getting food from the parents. Young cowbirds also develop at a faster pace than their nest mates, and they sometimes toss out eggs and young nestlings or smother them in the bottom of the nest. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown-headed_Cowbird/lifehistory )
F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 250.
Tree Swallow
What kind of lights did Noah use on the Ark?
Flood lights!
Interesting Fact: Tree Swallows have helped researchers make major advances in several branches of ecology, and they are among the best-studied bird species in North America. Still, we know little about their lives during migration and winter. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tree_Swallow/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 200.
Snowy Egret
What did the triangle say to the circle?
You are pointless!
Interesting Fact: Male Snowy Egrets fight for breeding territories, choose nest sites, and perform noisy courtship displays to attract mates. A ring of other egrets often gathers around a displaying male as he pumps his body up and down, points his bill skyward, and calls. He also performs aerial displays, including one that ends with him dropping toward the ground while tumbling around and around. After pairing up, Snowy Egrets continue defending the immediate area around the nest, raising their crests and giving rasping calls. Some of their nest predators include raccoons, Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, American Crows, Fish Crows, American alligators, and gray rat snakes. Highly social all year long, Snowy Egrets forage with gulls, terns, ibises, and other herons, and they nest in colonies alongside many other species, including Great Egrets, night-herons, Glossy Ibises, Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Cattle Egrets, and Roseate Spoonbills. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Egret/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 1000.
Eastern Bluebird
What starts with a P, ends with an E, and has a million letters in it?
Post Office!
Interesting Fact: The male Eastern Bluebird displays at his nest cavity to attract a female. He brings nest material to the hole, goes in and out, and waves his wings while perched above it. That is pretty much his contribution to nest building; only the female Eastern Bluebird builds the nest and incubates the eggs. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/1000, ISO 200.
Monk Parakeets
What do you get when you cross a parrot and a centipede?
A walkie-talkie.
Interesting Fact: Monk Parakeets in North America live in urban and suburban environments, especially around city parks. They are one of the few parrot species able to survive temperate-zone winters. In their native range in South America, Monk Parakeets live in dry savannas with scattered woods up to about 6,000 feet elevation. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Monk_Parakeet/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/320, ISO 100.
Canada Goose Goslings
What did the blanket say to the bed?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!
Interesting Fact: Canada Geese eat grain from fields, graze on grass, and dabble in shallow water by tipping forward and extending their necks underwater. During much of the year they associate in large flocks, and many of these birds may be related to one another. They mate for life with very low “divorce rates,” and pairs remain together throughout the year. Geese mate “assortatively,” larger birds choosing larger mates and smaller ones choosing smaller mates; in a given pair, the male is usually larger than the female. Most Canada Geese do not breed until their fourth year; less than 10 percent breed as yearlings, and most pair bonds are unstable until birds are at least two or three years old. Extra-pair copulations have been documented. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/60, ISO 640.
Gray Catbird
Why can’t a bicycle stand up on its own?
Because it’s two tired.
Interesting Fact: Catbirds usually build nests on horizontal branches hidden at the center of dense shrubs, small trees, or in vines, including dogwood, hawthorn, cherry, rose, elderberry, grape, honeysuckle, and blackberry. Nests are typically around 4 feet off the ground, but may be on the ground or as high as 60 feet. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray_Catbird/lifehistory )
F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 200.
Eastern Phoebe
Why can’t you take a nap during a race?
Because if you snooze, you loose!
Interesting Fact: The Eastern Phoebe is a loner, rarely coming in contact with other phoebes. Even members of a mated pair do not spend much time together. They may roost together early in pair formation, but even during egg laying the female frequently chases the male away from her. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Phoebe/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/125, ISO 320.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
What did the candle say to the other candle?
I’m going out tonight.
Interesting Fact: Metabolic studies on Ruby-crowned Kinglets suggest that these tiny birds use only about 10 calories (technically, kilocalories) per day. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-crowned_Kinglet/lifehistory )
F/13.0, 1/640, ISO 320.
Barn Swallow
Why did the computer break up with the internet?
There was no “Connection”.
Interesting Fact: Long-distance migrant. Barn Swallows fly from North American breeding grounds to wintering areas in Central and South America. Southbound fall migration may begin by late June in Florida or early July in Massachusetts. They return as early as late January in southern California to mid-May at Alaskan breeding sites. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Swallow/lifehistory )
Through Open Lens 