In My Defense, I Was Left Unsupervised.

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 640.

American Goldfinch

A unit in sex education was about to begin, and each student had to bring in a permission slip in order to take it.

Little Tommy handed in his slip and explained to the teacher, “My mom says I can take the course as long as there’s no homework.”

Interesting Fact: Goldfinches move south in winter following a pattern that seems to coincide with regions where the minimum January temperature is no colder than 0 degrees Fahrenheit on average. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch )

 

 

 

They Call Me Mellow Yellow

Yellow Warbler

F/ 6.3, 1/640, ISO 200.

Yellow Warbler

A lady went to a pet shop.
“I’d like to buy two yellow canaries,” she told the owner.
“We don’t have any canaries, but we have these,” the owner
said, as he showed the lady some pale green parakeets.
“That’s not what I’m looking for,” the lady stated.
But the pet store owner refused to give up. He said, “Just
think of them as yellow canaries that aren’t quite ripe yet.”

Interesting Fact: Life can be dangerous for a small bird. Yellow Warblers have occasionally been found caught in the strands of an orb weaver spider’s web. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/lifehistory )

Happy International Women’s Day! All Women Deserve Flowers On This Day!

flowers

Happy International Women’s Day

F/3.5, 1/60, ISO 250.

Why couldn’t the flower ride its bike?

It lost its petals.

Interesting Fact:  The earliest Women’s Day observance was held on February 28, 1909, in New York; it was organized by the Socialist Party of America in remembrance of the 1908 strike of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.[4] There was no specific strike happening on March 8, despite later claims. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Day )

Yellow Is Back!

Yellow Warbler 2

F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 1600.

Yellow Warbler

Day 252 / 365

Daughter: Mom, can I have a yellow bird for Christmas?
Mom: NO! You’ll have turkey like everyone else.

Interesting Fact: Yellow Warblers forage along slender branches of shrubs and small trees, picking off insect prey as they go or briefly hovering to get at prey on leaves. Singing males perch near the tops of the bushes or trees in their territory. As male Yellow Warblers are setting up territories they may perform a “circle flight” in which they fly toward a neighboring male or female in a horizontal, semicircular path. A male may also fly slowly with fast, exaggerated wingbeats away from a female he is courting or a male he is competing with. As these territorial encounters proceed, males start by singing at each other; as the dispute goes on, the songs get quieter or switch to chip notes as the males begin to chase each other. Yellow Warblers typically form monogamous pairs that sometimes last more than one breeding season and reform the next. Yellow Warblers defend their nesting territories from many species, including other warbler species, chickadees, House Wrens, blackbirds, and Eastern Kingbirds. They may even chase off other warbler species while on their wintering grounds. Common predators of Yellow Warbler nests include garter snakes, red squirrels, jays, crows, raccoons, weasels, skunks, and domestic or feral cats. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/lifehistory )

This Fence Can’t Hold Me! I’m Breaking Out!

Yellow-breasted Chat

F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 800.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Day 247 / 365

Why did the Yellow-breasted Chat scale the chain-link fence?

To see what was on the other side.

Interesting Fact: Unlike most warblers, this species has been known to mimic the calls of other birds, and it’s the largest North American warbler.  ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/342/overview/Yellow-breasted_Chat.aspx )

You Can’t See Me I’m A Flower!

The American Goldfinch

F/6.3, 1/800, ISO 800.

The American Goldfinch

Day 244 / 365

Why did the little bird get in trouble at school?

He got caught peeping on a test.

Interesting Fact: The American Goldfinch changes from winter plumage to breeding plumage by a complete molt of its body feathers. It is the only member of its family to have this second molt in the spring; all the other species have just one molt each year in the fall. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/91/_/American_Goldfinch.aspx )

I Choose To Shine!

Sunflowers

F/6.0, 1/60, ISO 250.

Sunflowers

Day 236 / 365

Roses are red, violets are blue. sunflowers are yellow, i bet you were expecting something romantic but no this is just gardening facts.

Interesting Fact: The sunflower is native to the America’s and was used extensively by Native American Indians for food, as oil, in bread, medical ointments, dyes and body paints. ( http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/plants/sunflowers.html )

 

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself But Don’t Take Down The Fence!

yellow warbler 1

F/6.3, 1/125, ISO 1400.

Yellow Warblers

Day 202 / 365

A man walked into the office of a talent agent on the 72nd floor of a skyscraper. “I’ve got a great act,” he tells the agent. “Just watch this.” The man opens the window, perches on the ledge and starts flapping his arms. Then he pushes off and flys around outside the window executing intricate aerobatic maneuvers. Having finished his demonstration, the man flaps in to a perfect landing on the window sill and steps back into the agent’s office. “What do you think of that?” he asked the agent. The talent agent yawned. That’s it? Bird imitations?”

Interesting Fact: Long distance migrant. Yellow Warblers breed across central and northern North America and spend winters in Central America and northern South America. They migrate earlier than most other warblers in both spring and fall. Like many other migrating songbirds, Yellow Warblers from eastern North America fly across the Gulf of Mexico in a single nonstop journey; some Yellow Warblers in fall take an overland route around the Gulf. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/lifehistory )

“Hey I Was Yellow First, Now The Minions Get The Fame”!

American Goldfinch

F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 400.

The American Goldfinch

Day 194 / 365

What do you give a sick bird?
Tweetment.

Interesting Fact: They are one of the latest nesting birds, starting in late June or early July, when most other songbirds are finishing with breeding. Their late timing may be related to the availability of suitable nesting materials and seeds for feeding young. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/91/overview/American_Goldfinch.aspx )

“Just Don’t Call Me Tweety Bird”!

Baltimore Oriole  Female

F/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 500.

Baltimore Oriole ( Female )

Day 192 / 365

When should you buy a bird?

When it’s going cheep!

Interesting Fact: Baltimore Orioles sometimes use their slender beaks to feed in an unusual way, called “gaping”: they stab the closed bill into soft fruits, then open their mouths to cut a juicy swath from which they drink with their brushy-tipped tongues.  ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Baltimore_Oriole/lifehistory )