The Nature Photography Thread

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

So my lazy boyfriend is sometimes hard to get out into the woods, but luckily, Un-lazy friend George is not! He and I went out into peace valley today, much further than I would ever go alone. We had great success!!! TONS of toads, green frogs, salamanders, 3 painted turtles, a close encounter with a red-tailed hawk, a garter, and the reddest, most gorgeous dekay's snake I have ever seen! For being so early in spring we found a good bit. Pics will follow... I brought home a new garter today, one of the biggest females I have EVER seen! She has a small wound under her chin that I am going to help her heal up with a bit of neosporin. She also has this odd scar on top of her head, I am willing to bet that she was bitten by something and survived it because the scar looks like it has grown outward since. It did not take her long at all to realize that being picked up and handled doesn't have to equate with being eaten.

and now... Pictures!

He was chirping away!






They dont let go no matter what!!!


This is the same frog i photographed on friday... still there, still thinks he's hidden


The hawk!


pretty painted, he was pretty far away, thank god for 18X optical zoom

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

The new girl, i'm not sure if she's here to heal the wound under her chin or here to stay, time will tell depending on how she feels towards me over time! If I do decide to keep her, her babies will be taken back to peace valley for release!



shes BIG


And she's highly attractive!


this, in my opinion, was a truly stunning Dekay's snake. Such gorgeous tiger striped under his eyes, and a flaming red coloration. I put him back under his log after snapping some shots!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I love how calm these snakes are


these are his TRUE colors


thank you for looking, i am finished now. More will come later on, as george says he knows where to find a TON of milksnakes and barking tree frogs!

[adamanteus]

Some very nice finds there, Shannon. Great pics too.

[Lori P]

Wow-- well-- these pale compared to Shannon's-- and by the way, that hawk is just gorgeous Shannon, as well as the Dekay's!!!!! But, here are a couple from our woods walk yesterday... what kind of lizard is this? He was waaaay up the tree.





And here were some cool mushrooms...



And some kind of yellow fungus.

[adamanteus]

I think the lizard is a Five Lined Skink, Lori. Nice pics by the way.

[ssssnakeluvr]

cool photos!!! looks like some type of skink, not sure on the species.

[Lori P]

This gave me the creeps... we found just this one tree with this black gook (that's the technical term, I'm sure ) on it... some kind of fungus?? The Fungus of Death??

[adamanteus]

Certainly looks like fungus, Lori.... but not one I know.

[Snake lover 3-25]

ick... i hope that doesn't grow on my trees LOL