saint helena california

Blue Looks Good On You!

April 6, 2023 — 14 Comments

F/5.6, 1/160, ISO 320.

California Scrub-Jay

Why did Papa Smurf send Smurfette to see a doctor???

She was always feeling blue…

Interesting Fact: Look closely, and you’ll see an intriguing difference between the California Scrub-Jay and its close relative, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay. The bill of a California Scrub-Jay is stout and hooked, giving it extra power and grip as the birds hammer open acorns in their oak woodland habitats. By comparison, Woodhouse’s have thinner, more pointed bills that nimbly reach deep into pinyon pine cones to pull out the pine nuts inside. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Scrub-Jay )

I Can Freeze Time! What’s Your Superpower?

March 30, 2022 — 33 Comments

F/5.6, 1/800, ISO 320.

Anna’s Hummingbird ( Female )

Two pickles fell out of a jar onto the floor.

What did one say to the other?

Dill with it.

Interesting Fact: Hummingbirds have tiny legs and can neither hop nor walk, though they can sort of scoot sideways while perched.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird )

I Wish Exerciseing Was As Easy As Eating!

July 23, 2021 — 36 Comments

F/5.6, 1/2000, ISO 320.

Anna’s Hummingbird ( Female )

What do you call a crocodile that likes to bowl?

An Alley-Gator

Interesting Fact:  On rare occasions, bees and wasps may become impaled on the bill of an Anna’s Hummingbird, causing the bird to starve to death. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird )

Are You Looking At Me?!

May 10, 2021 — 10 Comments

F/5.6, 1/80, ISO 320.

California Scrub-Jay

How did the barber win the race?

He knew a short cut.

Interesting Fact: You might see California Scrub-Jays standing on the back of a mule deer. They’re eating ticks and other parasites. The deer seem to appreciate the help, often standing still and holding up their ears to give the jays access. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Scrub-Jay/overview )

We Are All Winging it!

August 28, 2020 — 68 Comments

F/5.6, 1/2000, ISO 320.

Anna’s Hummingbird ( Female )

Why do bees have sticky hair?

Because they use honeycombs.

Interesting Fact: Hummingbirds are strictly a New World animal. They fascinated the first Europeans who arrived on the continent. Christopher Columbus wrote about them and many wondered if they were a cross between a bird and an insect (at one point being called “flybirds”). Later, their feathers became fashionable ornaments in Europe (a practice that has thankfully fallen out of favor). ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/overview )

When Someone Yells STOP I Don’t Know Whether It’s In The Name Of Love, It’s Hammer Time, Or I Should Smell The Flowers.

May 20, 2020 — 7 Comments

F/5.3, 1/800, ISO 320.

Anna’s Hummingbird ( Female )

How do angels greet each other?

They say Halo

Interesting Fact: Anna’s Hummingbirds normally have a body temperature of around 107 degrees Fahrenheit—that’s a scorching temperature for a human. When outside temperatures fall, Anna’s and many other species of hummingbirds enter torpor. Their breathing and heart rate slow, and their body temperature can fall as low as 48 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature warms, the hummingbirds can become active again in a few minutes. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/ )