F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 250.
Blue Jay
What did one wall say to the other wall?
Meet ya’ at the corner!
Interesting Facts: This common, large songbird is familiar to many people, with its perky crest; blue, white, gray, and black plumage; and noisy calls. Blue Jays are known for their intelligence and complex social systems, and have tight family bonds. They often mate for life, remaining with their social mate throughout the year. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay/lifehistory )
F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 320.
Green-Winged Teal
Why do writers always feel cold?
Because they have lots of drafts in their office.
Interesting Facts: Green-winged Teal are fast, agile, buoyant flyers. They can take off straight from the water without running across the surface. Though they are dabbling ducks that usually tip up to feed, they occasionally dive for food and to avoid predators. In winter Green-winged Teal gather in roosting flocks of up to 50,000 birds. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green-winged_Teal/lifehistory )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320.
Ring-necked Duck
Why is it hard for a ghost to tell a lie?
Because you can see right through him.
Interesting Fact: Ring-necked Ducks feed by diving underwater, rather than by tipping up as “dabbling” ducks do. When diving, they leap forward in an arc to plunge underwater, and they swim using only their feet for propulsion. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-necked_Duck/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 220.
Hooded Merganser ( Female )
When is a door sweet and tasty?
When it’s jammed!
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). ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Merganser/lifehistory )
F/13.0, 1/640, ISO 320.
Northern Harrier
What did the eggs say when the cops showed up?
Everybody scramble!
Interesting Fact: Northern Harriers hunt mostly small mammals and small birds, but they are capable of taking bigger prey like rabbits and ducks. They sometimes subdue larger animals by drowning them. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier )
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 )
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 )
Through Open Lens 