The Nature Photography Thread

[CelestiHel]

Yeah, this is still falling, it's over a foot at my house now. And I was wondering a week ago why I hadn't seen snakes yet...

[vespula]

[ConcinusMan]

OMG! awsome photos! please explain. I'm dying to hear it!

WELCOME! Please come back and post again. You can't go wrong with awesome photos!

[GarterGeek]

Is what happened next, what I think happened next? The suspense is killing me! I think the pictures should be accompanied by dramatic music - like the Jaws theme.

[Stefan-A]

Just check the welcome lounge.

[vespula]

Well, we have this acorn nest right on our deck outside our kitchen window... it was nighttime and raining and I had the porch light on... as I was walking by I thought I spotted something white in the corner of my eye. As I approached the window I had to re-check what I thought I was looking at like 3 times... "That looks like a snake" --- wait "That IS a snake!" and I though this is so cool!! I flipped out and was racing around for my camera because (1) I wanted a picture, and (2) I wanted a picture before he ate our baby Carolina Chickadees inside.

Previously to all this, we (wife, me and my three girls 4, 9, 11) watched the mother and father Chickadee for the last month make a nest, lay the eggs and every now and then we pop the lid off to watch the progress... constantly bring caterpillars, etc...

So you can imagine my amazement and panic for our little birds when I saw this.

Anyway, I got my shots, all the girls and wife were screaming save the birds, and then I grabbed a broom and in about the nick of time, I started trying to get the snake off... he started to move faster and faster trying to finish the job looking for an entrance to get to the smell of dinner and as I kept prying his head away from the acorn nest, he kept trying to get back there even more aggressively.

I finally realized I wasnt going to get him away by doing that as he was determined so I started lightly thumping him on the head to make him mad.... which worked... he started to unwind and I could tell he was going to drop off onto the ground and just when he did, I used the broom handle and flung him about 100 feet over our fence into the night... my wife said kill him... but I like snakes and couldnt... they are beneficial, unless you are a bird, was my opinion.... probably why we dont have mice!

Story not over... as I knew he would be back...

About 30-45 minutes later I was cruising by the window and THERE HE WAS AGAIN! only this time he was on the deck railing sitting there staring at the nest contemplating whether he wanted to climb the black iron hanger again...

I grabbed a box and a rawhide glove from the garage, went out there, held him down on the railing with the box, grabbed him behind the head with my hand in the glove, and then dropped him tail first into the box and sealed it up... then two of my daughters and I went in the car about 1/4 mile down to the end of the neighborhood, and let him go.

Now, my wife wonders if snakes are like a dog and will find their way back home when that far away... I didnt think so but dont know. I thought snakes arent THAT attached or smart to track their way back home 1/4 mile away.. and I thought he would just make a new home somewhere else down there where I let him go ... maybe you all have some guesses?

Either way, the shots turned out great, and I looked for a forum to post on googling garter snake ... little did I know it was a rat snake (as was pointed out to me in the Welcome Lounge), as I thought it was a garter the whole time... but I am not a snake expert obviously... just played with them as a kid!

Glad you all liked the photos! I was pretty proud of them.

[ConcinusMan]

Oh, I see now what is happening.

[lokai99]

If you've read some of my previous posting you know I live in AL. You would think this would be a snake Eden, but I am the pied piper of ratsnakes and only ratsnakes it seems. Check out this beautiful girl I was called to come get by a hysterical friend, but I appreciate the effort it takes to call instead of just killing it...

please,please forgive the fact that I was sporting my redneck outift.....but it was saturday

She was a gentle girl and iI like to think that the nip on my leg before speeding away into the woods was a "thanks".

[guidofatherof5]

That's a big girl. Nice save.

[guidofatherof5]

My kids haven't been able to play in the play area because we have Turtle Doves nesting there. Today I wanted to check on their progress and see how many eggs they have. I guess time has gotten away from me, no eggs. Only 2 big babies.