nj wildlife photography

A Little Mud Never Hurt Anyone!

January 5, 2020 — 6 Comments

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 320.

Northern Pintail Ducks

What did one tube of glue say to the other tube of glue?

We have to stick together.

Interesting Fact: Males and females also lift their chins to greet each other and sometimes tip their chins when threatened. Pairs form on the wintering grounds, but males often mate with other females on the breeding grounds, and pairs only stay together for a single breeding season. Courting males stretch their necks up and tip their bills down while giving a whistle call. Males also preen behind their wing to expose the green speculum. Interested females follow males with head bobbing, preening, and clucking. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pintail/lifehistory )

 

 

 

 

And Since I Have No Place To Go Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.

January 4, 2020 — 17 Comments

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 320.

Northern Cardinal Female

Why did the baseball coach throw Cinderella off the team?

Because she ran away from the ball.

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. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/lifehistory )

 

 

 

Steady As She Goes!

December 28, 2019 — 11 Comments

F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 250.

Northern Pintail Duck

What did the salad say to the fridge?

Shut the door, I’m dressing!

Interesting Fact: Seemingly at home on land and water, Northern Pintails waddle through fields and swim gracefully with the tail pointed upwards. They erupt in flight from the water’s surface at a moment’s notice, wheeling and darting through the air on their slender wings.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pintail/lifehistory )

 

 

 

Is Your Tail Up For A Reason Or You Just Happy To See Me?!

December 27, 2019 — 2 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 250.

Ruddy Duck

Why are Christmas trees so bad at sewing?

They always drop their needles!

Interesting Fact:  Unlike most ducks, they form pairs only after arriving on the breeding grounds each year. Males perform unusual courtship displays in which they stick their tails straight up while striking their bills against their inflated necks, creating bubbles in the water as air is forced from their feathers. They punctuate the end of the display with a belch-like call. Courting males also lower their tails and run across the water, making popping sounds with their feet. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruddy_Duck/lifehistory )

Stay With Me, Sway With Me!

December 18, 2019 — 4 Comments

F/6.3, 1/60, ISO 640.

American Black Bear

What do you call a knight who lets people borrow his stuff?

Sir lends a lot

Interesting Facts: When winter arrives, black bears spend the season dormant in their dens, feeding on body fat they have built up by eating ravenously all summer and fall. They make their dens in caves, burrows, brush piles, or other sheltered spots—sometimes even in tree holes high above the ground. Black bears den for various lengths of time governed by the diverse climates in which they live, from Canada to northern Mexico. ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/american-black-bear/ )