Apparently they are somewhat antagonized about having their tail touched;) Ha! I just wanted to gently feel it, so soft, I pulled my hand back quickly when I realized she/he was NOT amused! I was wondering if it was heading to our compost pile to lay its eggs, one has in the past, but it seems she may have gone all the way to our “human” neighbours (wonderful people on both sides of us I might add!) and moved into their cottage, needless to say, our human neighbours were maybe not quite as pleased at seeing her as I was! I didn’t ask how they convinced her to leave;)
The gray rat snake is non-venomous and is Ontario’s largest snake, reaching up to 2 metres in length. This one was maybe 5′ long. Adults are strongly attached to their home ranges and often return to the same nesting and hibernation sites. They often lay eggs in logs or compost piles that serve as incubators. Sometimes several females will use the same site to deposit eggs. Its worst enemies…humans, destroying not only their habitat but persecution, the whole, anti-snake thing. We need to get past the Adam and Eve and snake in the garden thing folks, these beautiful creatures mean us no harm. They are an endangered species and protected so drive around them and let them live their wonderful lives! I did get a tail rattle, they mimic rattlesnakes that way when they are annoyed, not quite as impressive as my Baja friends, the red diamond back-crotalus ruber-but a beautiful snake none the less!
This young lady still owned Rockets heart-he watched from inside last night as she inspected the alcove for any snacks but came just short of tipping over the recycling and wandered off below the bird feeder to clean up, then the compost. Late in the afternoon apparently she had the munchies and climbed up the tree while I sat and watched, yeah, what ever lady, I’m hungry. Still no signs of any young ones, we’ll see!
Down at the dock, I sat and watched the sky, they were calling for severe thunderstorms but they just seemed to be sliding North, or South of us, the humidity felt tropical, and the deerflies, well, let’s just say unless you are an Olympic sprinter your chances of surviving a walk down our laneway unscathed are slim. Even the cats are hiding under the truck! Our lawn looks like a cut hayfield in August, brown, we’ve mowed it twice this year…I maybe initiating some kind of weird rain dance soon! But the reflections…hard to resist, and just watching the waterside birds go by:)
The Osprey put in an appearance but was promptly chased off it’s perch by a pair of red-winged blackbirds…small, but fierce! A Yellow Warbler was foraging in the tree by the lake while the eastern Kingbird looked on. I’ll have to get in the canoe and see if they have nested in the old cedar leaning into the water, I was surprised the tree survived the last few storms but it is getting lower, and lower to the water! A Ring Billed gull flew over cheking me out before I headed back to the house, light was fading, the Robins are busy eating the honelysuckle berries.
The orioles have become very, very quiet! I believe they are nesting with their second brood perhaps! I saw a female pruning after a lake bath, no doubt! Can’t a Baltimore Oriole get some peace? Damn paparazzi! I think the hummingbirds are boycotting me as well;) maybe not, but it has been so quiet. Maybe the heat, the smoke last month, who knows, it’s somewhat disheartening to hear from my other hummingbird photographer friends as well that they are not seeing the numbers this year as we should:(
Doesn’t stop Napolean junior here from hogging the feeder!
Mrs. Ruby Throated has been very shy. I’ve seen her, but she keeps to herself, darting into the feeder whenever I don’t have the camera in hand! We’ll catch up with her later. I did catch sight of the baby Loon last night at dusk, with its mother and father, but we’ll leave that for later. I’ll leave you with a few reflections. I’ve been doing a lot of that the last few days. One of our neighbours from the horse farm days recently passed away, my brother was in the hospital with blood clots in his lungs (thankfully he is out and doing well, Love you Shea) and a dear friend battling cancer had a stroke, and she has been on my mind and in my heart. I wish there was some fairness in this world where truly bad people can live to be old, and the good suffer too young. That shit isn’t right. Hug your loved ones, humans, felines, equines, or yes, even dogs 😉 (the cats made me write that!) We are but specks of dust in this vast universe and need to make the most out of every single day we have, especially those of us with the luxury of our health, of a roof over our heads, clean running water, and food to eat. Abrazos.
