Wildlife

How Much Wood Could A Woodchuck Chuck, If A Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood?

October 29, 2015 — 34 Comments

Groundhog

F/6.3, 1/60, ISO 640.

Groundhog (Woodchuck)

Day 302 / 365

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

Interesting Fact: Groundhogs hibernate meaning they spend their winters sleeping.  They hibernate from October to late March. Groundhogs prepare for hibernation by putting on weight.  Then they live off the fat until they come out of hibernation. ( http://www.kidsplayandcreate.com/fun-groundhog-facts-and-groundhog-day-facts-for-kids/ )

 

 

You Don’t Know Quack!

October 25, 2015 — 14 Comments

Ruddy Duck 1

F/ 13.0, 1/640, ISO 800.

Ruddy Duck

Day 298 / 365

A man and a duck are walking down the street together. Suddenly the man notices a low-flying airplane coming right for them. The man yells “DUCK!!!!” and the duck looks back at the man with an angry face and yells “MAN!!!!”

Interesting Fact: Ruddy Ducks are very aggressive toward each other and toward other species, especially during the breeding season. They are even known to chase rabbits feeding on the shore. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruddy_Duck/lifehistory )

Hooked On Quack!

October 19, 2015 — 22 Comments

Green-winged Teal

F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 500.

Green-Winged Teal

Day 292 / 365

A duck, a skunk and a deer went out for dinner at a restaurant one night.

When it came time to pay,

the skunk didn’t have a scent,

the deer didn’t have a buck,

so they put the meal on the duck’s bill.

Interesting Fact: Green-winged Teal, more than any other species of duck, prefer to seek food on mud flats. Where mud flats are lacking, they prefer shallow marshes or temporarily flooded agricultural lands. They usually eat vegetative matter consisting of seeds, stems, and leaves of aquatic and emergent vegetation. ( http://www.withmephotographyblog.com/8-interesting-facts-about-the-green-winged-teal )

You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide

October 18, 2015 — 18 Comments

Peregrine Falcon

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 250.

Peregrine Falcon

Day 291 / 365

What birds spend all their time on their knees?

Birds of prey!

Interesting Fact: The name “peregrine” means wanderer, and the Peregrine Falcon has one of the longest migrations of any North American bird. Tundra-nesting falcons winter in South America, and may move 25,000 km (15,500 mi) in a year. Maps of the migration of individual falcons determined by satellite telemetry can be seen at Environment Canada. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Peregrine_Falcon/lifehistory )

I’m Just Hanging Out

October 16, 2015 — 13 Comments

Golden-crowned Kinglet

F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 800.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Day 289 / 365

When is the best time to buy birds?

When they’re going cheap!

Interesting Fact: The tiny Golden-crowned Kinglet is hardier than it looks, routinely wintering in areas where nighttime temperatures can fall below –40° Fahrenheit. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden-crowned_Kinglet/lifehistory )

Go Green!

October 15, 2015 — 4 Comments

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

F/6.3, 1/80, ISO 1000.

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Day 288 / 365

I was in a park earlier and I saw a “keep off the grass” sign.

I couldn’t help but think… how did it get there?

Interesting Fact: Yellow-rumped Warblers are perhaps the most versatile foragers of all warblers. They’re the warbler you’re most likely to see fluttering out from a tree to catch a flying insect, and they’re also quick to switch over to eating berries in fall. Other places Yellow-rumped Warblers have been spotted foraging include picking at insects on washed-up seaweed at the beach, skimming insects from the surface of rivers and the ocean, picking them out of spiderwebs, and grabbing them off piles of manure.  ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-rumped_Warbler/lifehistory )

“I Am Training To Be A Spy”

October 14, 2015 — 16 Comments

American Tree Sparrow

F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 5600.

American Tree Sparrow

Day 287 / 365

Older couple were walking through the park when a sparrow flew overhead. The bird poop landed right on old man’s head.
Seeing the mess, old woman said, “I wish we had some toilet tissue.”
The Old man replied, “What good would it do. He’s probably a half a mile away by now.”

Interesting Fact: American Tree Sparrows need to take in about 30 percent of their body weight in food and a similar percentage in water each day. A full day’s fasting is usually a death sentence. Their body temperature drops and they lose nearly a fifth of their weight in that short time.  ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Tree_Sparrow/lifehistory )

Swim At Your Own Risk!

October 13, 2015 — 6 Comments

Pied-Billed Grebe Juvenile

F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 6400.

Pied-Billed Grebe ( Juvenile )

Day 286 / 365

What robs you while you’re in the bathtub?

A robber ducky.

Interesting Fact: Pied-billed Grebes can trap water in their feathers, giving them great control over their buoyancy. They can sink deeply or stay just at or below the surface, exposing as much or as little of the body as they wish. The water-trapping ability may also aid in the pursuit of prey by reducing drag in turbulent water. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-billed_Grebe/lifehistory )

Knock, Knock, Knocking On Heavens Door!

October 11, 2015 — 15 Comments

Yellow bellied sapsucker juvenile

F/11.0, 1/640, ISO800.

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker ( Juvenile )

Day 284 / 365

I used to have a woodpecker called Woody, until he attacked my fiancé.

I still can’t believe Woody would peck her.

Interesting Fact: The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker makes two kinds of holes in trees to harvest sap. Round holes extend deep in the tree and are not enlarged. The sapsucker inserts its bill into the hole to probe for sap. Rectangular holes are shallower, and must be maintained continually for the sap to flow. The sapsucker licks the sap from these holes, and eats the cambium of the tree too. New holes usually are made in a line with old holes, or in a new line above the old.  ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-bellied_Sapsucker/lifehistory )

Wiggle It Just A Little Bit

October 8, 2015 — 15 Comments

Palm Warbler

F/6.3, 1/80, ISO 500.

Palm Warbler

Day 281 / 365

A little boy comes in to a pet store.

Little boy : I’d like to buy some bird seed.
Clerk: How many birds do you have?
Little boy : None! I want to grow some!

 

Interesting Fact: The Palm Warbler can be most easily recognized by the tail-wagging habit that shows off its yellow undertail. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/335/overview/Palm_Warbler.aspx )