F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 250.
Green-Winged Teal
Why do fish live in salt water?
Pepper water would make them sneeze.
Interesting Fact: Green-winged Teals have closely spaced, comblike projections called lamellae around the inner edge of the bill. They use them to filter tiny invertebrates from the water, allowing the birds to capture smaller food items than other dabbling ducks.( Green-winged Teal Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 250.
Northern Pintail
Why are celebrities so cool?
They have a lot of fans.
Interesting Fact: Northern Pintails migrate at night at speeds around 48 miles per hour. The longest nonstop flight recorded for a Northern Pintail was 1,800 miles. ( Northern Pintail Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology )
F/5.3, 1/160, IOS 800.
Great Blue Heron
What do you call when Batman skips out on church?
Christian Bale.
Interesting Fact: Great Blue Herons have specialized feathers on their chest that continually grow and fray. The herons comb this “powder down” with a fringed claw on their middle toes, using the down like a washcloth to remove fish slime and other oils from their feathers as they preen. Applying the powder to their underparts protects their feathers against the slime and oils of swamps. ( Great Blue Heron Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology )
F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 200.
Brown Pelicans
What did the bra say to the hat?
You go on a head, and I’ll give these two a lift.
Interesting Fact: During a dive, the Brown Pelican tucks its head and rotates its body to the left. This maneuver is probably to cushion the trachea and esophagus—which are found on the right side of the neck—from the impact. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican )
F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 250.
Hispaniolan slider
Why did the turtle cross the road?
To get to the shell station!
Interesting Fact: The Hispaniolan slider is a freshwater turtle. They can live on land and water, but prefer to be near freshwater.[3] These sliders are not on the endangered list, but are considered vulnerable. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispaniolan_slider )
F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 125.
Osprey
In class:
Math Teacher: “If I have 5 bottles in one hand and 6 in the other hand, what do I have?”
Student: “A drinking problem.”
Interesting Fact: Osprey eggs do not hatch all at once. Rather, the first chick emerges up to five days before the last one. The older hatchling dominates its younger siblings, and can monopolize the food brought by the parents. If food is abundant, chicks share meals in relative harmony; in times of scarcity, younger ones may starve to death. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey )
F/13.0, 1/500, ISO 400.
Bufflehead Duck ( Male )
What do you call a belt with a clock on it?
A waist of time.
Interesting Fact: To dive, Bufflehead compress their plumage to squeeze out air, then give a slight forward leap and plunge powerfully downward. They hold their wings tightly against their bodies underwater and use only their feet to propel themselves. ( Bufflehead Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology )
F/13.0, 1/640, ISO 400.
Hooded Merganser Male
Where do you take a sick boat?
To the dock.
Interesting Fact: Unlike dabbling ducks, Hooded Mergansers swim low in the water. Their legs are far back on their bodies, which helps in diving but makes them awkward on land. They take flight by running across the water, flying with fast wingbeats and never gliding until they are about to land (by skidding to a stop on the water). ( Hooded Merganser Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology )
F/10.0, 1/1600, ISO 800.
Common Mergansers
Why can’t you trust an atom?
They make up everything.
Interesting Fact: The female chooses the nest site, which is usually in a natural cavity or woodpecker hole in a live or dead tree, up to 100 feet off the ground and within a mile of water. Common Mergansers nest less frequently in rock crevices, old sheds, chimneys, lighthouses, holes in banks, holes in the ground, hollow logs, and burrows. ( Common Merganser Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
F/ 6.3, 1/640, ISO 200.
Canvasback
What type of book has only characters and no story?
A telephone book.
Interesting Fact: A large diving duck, the Canvasback breeds in prairie potholes and winters on ocean bays. Its sloping profile distinguishes it from other ducks. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canvasback/id )
Through Open Lens 