F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320.
Red breasted Merganser
What did E.T.’s mother say to him when he got home?
Where on Earth have you been?
Interesting Fact: The female creates a depression on the ground that she covers with dead grasses, forming a shallow bowl. She plucks down feathers from her breast to help insulate the nest. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-breasted_Merganser/lifehistory )
F/7.1, 1/800, ISO 200.
Common Tern
What did the stamp say to the envelope?
Stick with me and we will go places!
Interesting Fact: The incubating adult Common Tern flies off its nest to defecate 5-50 m (16-160 ft) away. It deposits its feces indiscriminately in nearby water or on the territories of other terns. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Tern/lifehistory )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320.
Red-winged Blackbird
What did the ghost eat at his birthday party?
I scream
Interesting Fact: Male Red-winged Blackbirds spend much of the breeding season sitting on a high perch over their territories and singing their hearts out. Females tend to slink through reeds and grasses collecting food or nest material. Both males and females defend nests from intruders and predators. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 200.
Red-breasted Merganser
Two men meet on opposite sides of a river.
One shouts to the other, “I need you to help me get to the other side!”
The other guy replies, “You’re on the other side!”
Interesting Fact: Red-breasted Mergansers are among the fastest flying ducks, clocking speeds of up to 81 miles per hour. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-breasted_Merganser/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/7.1, 1/200, ISO 320.
Palm Warbler
Why couldn’t Dracula’s wife get to sleep?
Because of his coffin.
Interesting Fact: The Palm Warbler, unlike most warblers, spends a lot of time walking on the ground and bobbing its tail as it goes—an obvious trait whether the bird is on the ground or perched in a tree or shrub. Despite its affinity for the ground it also forages and sings from taller trees and shrubs. It sometimes sallies out to grab an insect from a low shrub or tree like a flycatcher. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Palm_Warbler/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/200, ISO 250.
Great Horned Owl
What do you call an owl that can perform magic tricks
Hoo-dini
Interesting Fact: If you hear an agitated group of cawing American Crows, they may be mobbing a Great Horned Owl. Crows may gather from near and far and harass the owl for hours. The crows have good reason, because the Great Horned Owl is their most dangerous predator. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/ )
F/6.3, 1/125, ISO 250.
Northern Cardinal
What do you call two birds in love?
Tweethearts !
Interesting Fact: Only a few female North American songbirds sing, but the female Northern Cardinal does, and often while sitting on the nest. This may give the male information about when to bring food to the nest. A mated pair shares song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/lifehistory )
F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 320.
Common Grackle
Tom is sitting on the ice all day fishing with no luck, not even a nibble. Cold and tired he is about to leave, when a guy walks up cuts a hole in the ice beside him, and starts pulling out fish as fast a he can drop his hook in the water. Tom cant believe it, he yells over ” whats your secret?” “woogatkakeptewrwm” he answers back. “what did you say?” replies Tom. The man spits a large ball of worms on the ice and says to Tom, ” you have to keep your worms warm”.
Interesting Fact: Those raggedy figures out in cornfields may be called scare-crows, but grackles are the #1 threat to corn. They eat ripening corn as well as corn sprouts, and their habit of foraging in big flocks means they have a multimillion dollar impact. Some people have tried to reduce their effects by spraying a foul-tasting chemical on corn sprouts or by culling grackles at their roosts. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Grackle/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/125, ISO 250.
Red-tailed Hawk
How did the tree feel in the spring?
Releaved.
Interesting Fact: Red-tailed Hawks typically put their nests in the crowns of tall trees where they have a commanding view of the landscape. They may also nest on a cliff ledge or on artificial structures such as window ledges and billboard platforms. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/lifehistory )
Through Open Lens 