F/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 500.
Great Blue Heron
Why was Frosty told to leave the grocery store?
Because he was caught picking his nose in the produce isle.
Interesting Fact: Despite their impressive size, Great Blue Herons weigh only 5 to 6 pounds thanks in part to their hollow bones—a feature all birds share. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/overview )
F/10.0, 1/1600, ISO 800.
Canada Goose
How do we know that insects are so clever?
Because they always know when your eating outside!
Interesting Fact: They mate for life with very low “divorce rates,” and pairs remain together throughout the year. Geese mate “assortatively,” larger birds choosing larger mates and smaller ones choosing smaller mates; in a given pair, the male is usually larger than the female. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/lifehistory )
F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 400.
Common Eider ( Female )
Where do vegetables go to get drunk?
The Salad Bar.
Interesting Fact: Eiders are colonial breeders. They nest on coastal islands in colonies ranging in size of less than 100 to upwards of 10,000-15,000 individuals.[13] Female eiders frequently exhibit a high degree of natal philopatry, where they return to breed on the same island where they were hatched. This can lead to a high degree of relatedness between individuals nesting on the same island, as well as the development of kin-based female social structures.[14] This relatedness has likely played a role in the evolution of co-operative breeding behaviours amongst eiders. Examples of these behaviours include laying eggs in the nests of related individuals[15] and crèching, where female eiders team up and share the work of rearing ducklings. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_eider )
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/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 640.
Great Blue Heron
Why did the student wear eye-glasses in math class?
It improved DiVision !
Interesting Fact: In flight the Great Blue Heron folds it neck into an “S” shape and trails its long legs behind, dangling them as it prepares to land or when courting. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 200.
Mallard
What says “Quick, Quick”?
A duck with the hiccups.
Interesting Fact: The standard duck’s quack is the sound of a female Mallard. Males don’t quack; they make a quieter, rasping sound. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 200.
Canvasback
Chickens rise when the rooster crows, but when do ducks get up?
At the quack of dawn!
Interesting Fact: The Canvasback is a very good flier and can reach speeds of up to 70 mph. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/100/overview/Canvasback.aspx )
F/5.6, 1/250, ISO 400.
Black Skimmer
California Week
How long do chickens work?
Around the cluck!
Interesting Fact: Although the Black Skimmer is active throughout the day, it is largely crepuscular (active in the dawn and dusk) and even nocturnal. Its use of touch to catch fish lets it be successful in low light or darkness. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Skimmer/lifehistory )
F/6.3, 1/800, ISO 800.
American Kestrel
Day 255 / 365
Why did the American Kestrel cross the road, roll in the mud, and cross back?
He was a dirty double-crosser!
Interesting Fact: When nature calls, nestling kestrels back up, raise their tails, and squirt feces onto the walls of the nest cavity. The feces dry on the cavity walls and stay off the nestlings. The nest gets to be a smelly place, with feces on the walls and uneaten parts of small animals on the floor. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/lifehistory )
Through Open Lens 