wildlife of New Jersey

When Nothing Goes Right Just Go Fishing!

June 26, 2020 — 14 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 250.

Green Heron

What is the difference between a cat and a dog?

Dogs think, “Humans are benevolent, they feed me and take care of me, so they must be Gods.”

Cats think, “Humans are benevolent, they feed me and take care of me, so I must be God.”

Interesting Fact: The Green Heron is part of a complex of small herons that sometimes are considered one species. When lumped, they are called Green-backed Heron. When split, they are the Green Heron, the widespread Striated Heron, and the Galapagos Heron. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/lifehistory )

Catching Some Rays DUDE!

June 1, 2020 — 22 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 160.

Red-Eared Slider Turtles 

What do turtles use to communicate?

A shellphone!

Interesting Fact: During brumation, T. s. elegans can survive anaerobically for weeks, producing ATP from glycolysis. The turtle’s metabolic rate drops dramatically, with heart rate and cardiac output dropping by 80% to minimise energy requirements.[25][26] The lactic acid produced is buffered by minerals in the shell, preventing acidosis.[27] Red-eared sliders kept captive indoors should not brumate. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider )

 

 

Shh… I’m Hiding From Negative People.

May 22, 2020 — 2 Comments

F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 320.

Northern Flicker 

What did the math text book say to the Shakespeare text book?

I’ve already got a lot of problems, and I don’t need any of your drama.

Interesting Fact: Although it can climb up the trunks of trees and hammer on wood like other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker prefers to find food on the ground. Ants are its main food, and the flicker digs in the dirt to find them. It uses its long barbed tongue to lap up the ants. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/ )

 

 

Ask Us About Our Hole?

May 8, 2020 — 2 Comments

F/6.3, 1/125, ISO 320.

Eastern chipmunks

What do you call a rooster who wakes you up at the same time every morning?

An alarm cluck!

Interesting Fact: The eastern chipmunk defends its burrow and lives a solitary life, except during mating season. Females usually produce one or two litters of three to five young.[5] The two breeding seasons are from February to April and from June to August. During the winter, the chipmunk may enter long periods of torpor, but does not truly hibernate. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_chipmunk )

 

I’m Not Lazy, I’m Just On My Energy Saving Mode!

April 18, 2020 — 8 Comments

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 )

 

And It Was All Yellow!

April 15, 2020 — 18 Comments

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 250.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 

Why did the boy take a ladder to school?

It was a high school.

Interesting Fact: Ruby-Crowned Kinglets make their nests in trees, occasionally as high up as 100 feet. Females choose a nest site near the tree trunk or suspended from small twigs and branchlets. Because of the nest site’s height and often remote location, not much is known about kinglet nesting habits. Their nest sites, chosen by the females, are protected and often hidden by overhanging foliage. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-crowned_Kinglet/lifehistory )

 

 

Welcome To The Duck Side. We Have Quackers.

April 10, 2020 — 11 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320.

Ruddy Duck 

Why didn’t my girlfriend believe I was a ghost?

She could see right through me.

Interesting Fact:  The nest is usually made of dead, dry plant materials, though some are built entirely with green vegetation. It starts as a platform and becomes more bowl-like throughout the construction process, with an inner cup measuring 4–12 inches across and 0.5–5 inches deep. Ruddy Ducks usually weave a canopy of vegetation over their nests. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruddy_Duck/lifehistory )

Don’t Look Back You’re Not Going That Way

April 6, 2020 — 18 Comments

F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 220.

Least Sandpiper

Browsing in a pet shop, a man sees a beautiful parrot with a red
string tied to its left leg and a green string tied to its right
leg, and asks the store owner about the different colored strings.
“This is a highly-trained parrot,” the owner explains. “If you
pull the red string, he’ll speak French.  If you pull the green
string, he’ll speak Spanish.”
The customer asks, “What happens if I pull both strings?”
“I’ll fall off my perch, dummy!” screeches the parrot.

Interesting Fact: Eastern populations probably fly nonstop over the ocean from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and New England to wintering grounds in northeastern South America, a distance of about 1,800 to 2,500 miles. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Least_Sandpiper/lifehistory )

 

You Make Me Happy When Skies Are Grey

April 3, 2020 — 27 Comments

F/ 6.3, 1/125, ISO 500.

Yellow Warblers

How do birds fly?

They just wing it!

Interesting Fact: The nests of the Yellow Warbler are frequently parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird. The warbler often builds a new nest directly on top of the parasitized one, sometimes resulting in nests with up to six tiers. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/lifehistory )

Sing… The World Needs Your Music In It.

March 30, 2020 — 10 Comments

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320.

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Why can’t you write with a broken pencil?

Because it’s pointless.

Interesting Fact: The Eastern Wood-Pewee’s lichen-covered nest is so inconspicuous that it often looks like a knot on a branch. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Wood-Pewee )