Lost and Found

I was digging through some folder files and found images that never got edited or posted from the spring.

I had spent a morning wandering around one of the local metroparks, hoping for a sunning massasauga rattlesnake.  None were out today, but I enjoyed some of the other flora and fauna that were available for my camera lens.

There was a large group of hikers following these poor cranes around.  They are typically very common in the park.

Sandhill Crane and chic

A fellow photographer pointed out some flowering yellow lady slipper orchids, Cypripedium calceolus.  I didn't end up with the images I was hoping for.  It was a valiant first effort...

Painted turtles were enjoying the sun.  Unfortunately, I have yet to see blandings at this location.

This small garter snake was basking in the reeds.

Near the end of the summer, we spent an afternoon trying for an adult fox snake.  None were to be found, be we found 8+ freshly hatched juveniles in a very small location.

Nice flip!

This little red-bellied snake was spotted on a northern Michigan back country road.  I am frequently surprised by the small snakes I manage to spot and often wonder what I still miss...

My last field day I spent looking for saugas and racers.  I managed to find the small sauga I mentioned in this post, as well as few blue racers.

That about does it for the end of my season in Michigan... I may have had a miraculous late December outing, but it is a story for another day.  All in all, it was a pretty awesome year.  I think I met a few of my Michigan goals, and I had some great adventures out of state.  There is more exciting news I have to share  as soon as I can get the pictures loaded up.  Until then, Happy Holidays everyone!

BH

Thanksgiving Feast!

 I want to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving this year.  I will be working most of the day, but I have much to be thankful for.  I have a wonderful, loving wife, and the best two dogs a guy could ask for.  Life is good.

 I haven't been fortunate enough to witness herps eating all that often, but I did stumble across this scene last spring.  This eastern garter snake had much to be thankful for on this day, and probably didn't need to eat for a long while after.  I watched him stuff his face as long as I could before skipping out on the slow process.  When I returned later, he was deep in a food coma.

My first impression was a fisherman killed a snake for some reason

Than I realized how lucky I was.

I wasn't totally convinced he would get it down...

But there was a thankful snake when I checked back!

Happy Holidays everyone!

BH

Melanistic Garters of Ohio

The northern part of Ohio is known for having a few melanistic garter snakes as well as some melanistic massasaugas. I haven't been fortunate enough to see the latter, but I have lucked into a couple garters.

Interestingly, melanistic garters are fairly common in the NE, especially in areas around Toledo. I haven't ever had the pleasure of seeing them there, despite seeing a good number of garters. Both of my examples came from farther south.

The first one I actually stepped on and initially thought it was a small racer.




The second one was found in early March during an unseasonably warm week in Cincinnati. I was walking through the ghetto on the way to my car and noticed this animal basking in a rock wall - what luck!


For the record, every now and then garters sometimes look like this too.



Maybe you should think again next time before saying "just a garter"...