I'm glad Jane's cute bunny didn't meet NHBabs' snake.

I'm no good at snake identification. I found this site, Snakes of New Hampshire -
maybe a Northern Black Racer?

I'm trying to imagine how a snake would move among all those grass stems. Side to side movement would be difficult, I'm guessing, with the stems resisting bending. Or I could be completely wrong.

Claire

NHBABS! Thank you for the warning which I saw in the email notification. Scrolling up from bottom of this page saved me! That was VERY nice of you. Have not seen picture...and not looking, lol.

Jane

You're welcome Jane . . . I skip over Claire's racoon and woodchuck posts . . . I'd rather look at just about any other set of critters, and enjoy the spiders.

Claire, the stems are loosely enough growing that I think s/he actually pushes against the stems, sort of the way I use tree trunks on steep hills.

Thanks for that link - it also had a link to an magazine article from NH Fish and Game about NH snakes, and it mentioned that the northern water snake is the only NH snake commonly found in wetlands, and described it as thick, which was a striking factor of mine, so it fits in two ways. And in the original link, there was a photo of one that was dark enough so that the pattern didn't show, like both of mine, so since habitat and appearance are consistent, I think both of mine were dark colored northern water snakes.

I also learned a new word: ophidiophobes, which describes Jane and Susan, I think.

I thank you too, NHBabs!

Susan

Well, to get back to more universally acceptable critters, this is a video of a turkey incident dating back to May 6. Young toms jousting while trampling the daffodils in my garden. I didn't post this at that time because there had been a number of violent posts around that time and I wanted to stay positive.

Now, suddenly, a turkey fight seems innocuous.

Claire

Up early this morning... could not sleep. Don't you just hate when that happens!

So I checked out GW and this thread. Sorry, Jane, but NHBab's photo of that snake in the field brought back memories of the strange snake I found under a rock by the river when we moved in 13 years ago. It was small, very bright orange, and had white (I think) stripes. I've searched lots of data bases since, but couldn't find a bright orange indigenous snake like that one. We guessed it was someone's pet that "ended up" in the river.

And to drag out even more this detour into Snake World, I do recall that one of the creepiest things I ever saw at my former home in southern CT also had to do with snakes. It was early morning and a huge hurricane was predicted to make landfall that day. Our house was surrounded by woods and many old stone walls. As I was making a pot of coffee and looking out the window into the back yard, I saw dozens of black snakes just writhing and twisting on the lawn and along the walls. They must have sensed the approaching storm. As I said... creepy.

Okay... back to Claire's turkey fight video.

Boy, moliep, you really had a rough night! Hope your day is better. :) Soooo...back to furry critters, they're coming back - see link, if interested.

New England Cottontail

Red feathers on his nape looks like the Northern Flicker may have a guardian angel.

Well, I learned this today: I may never capture a bumble bee's wing movements. According to this study flapping of bumble bee wings, I need to capture 5,000 frames per second. This photo was 1/2000 @f/5.6.

Jane

Good thing it's the end of this thread - had to try. Yes, despite wind and movement, at a shutter speed of 8000 @ f/5.6, ISO auto, the wings in flight are more discernible. This probably proves nothing and no one cares, but I had fun trying.

It was triple trouble out back today.

Jane

At the pond today, I think this may be an Eastern Painted Turtle. because we finally got some rain last night, the water was stirred up a lot. The turtle was not hauling logs.

http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/turtles/eastern-painted-turtle/eastern_painted_turtle.php

From bumblebees to chipmunks to turtles... a nice range of critters to marvel at, Jane. I'm seeing about six chipmunks every day, mostly as I go out to refill the feeders and the chipmunks race past my feet. I don't know if they expect me to jump up like the birds do (not likely) but they don't usually make a detour around me.

I haven't seen snapping turtles for a few years. Was it Pixie Lou who had them in her pond?

Claire

Yes, I believe it was Pixie Lou...a loss to the community.

Jane, that absolutely gorgeous Northern Flicker picture makes me wonder why I thought it was routine to retire suet feeders for the summer. Back out one goes tomorrow. Thank you. I only saw one NF in the winter -- maybe they need to know a suet feeder will always be there.

Pat, I'm going through a whole suet cake a day with all the woodpeckers who now have taught their kids!

Thanks, Jane, for the link to rabbits here in NE. I'll have to check the ones we see and look for that white do. Now that we have a dog, we don't see as many rabbits in the yard.

Another thing we seldom see are snapping turtles along the river. They were common when we moved here 13 years ago. But a few years ago my husband saw someone in a boat on the river. He was hunting snapping turtles, killing them, and putting them into a bucket. My dh called animal control person and an officer immediately came out. He found the guy and told him that he had to stop. Apparently, the man was using them as a source of food ... something I would not do with any aquatic form taken from our river because of the industrial waste emptied out into it over the years. As recently as 2010 there was a leak of fire retardant foam from the Yale University West Campus site and it quickly dispersed into the river.

Have we had a dragonfly yet this year? Trying to catch some in flight is like trying to lasso wind...but I'll try, lol. This one may be a blue skimmer?

I've only seen a couple and not recently. It's been extremely dry.

I haven't seen any yet - I second the "extremely dry" comment.

Claire

"Summer
is the time to look for "horned" House Finches at your seed feeders. These birds
are not a unique species, but are young House Finches that have recently left
the nest. For a short period of time, House Finch fledglings tend to retain
patches of long, downy juvenile feathers that give them the appearance of having
horns. (Wildbirds Unlimited) http://bend.wbu.com/content/show/10252

Somebody lost a 'horn'. They are cute.

Sort of like a cowlick, if cows could lick a finch.

Claire

Was a good day - enjoying the dragonflies, three types of butterflies, woodpeckers, hummingbirds - then startled a rabbit in the perennial bed, stepped back and almost tromped on a snake. It was a little garter snake but still! Not my favorite type of mobile feature. I think the patio and a soothing beverage may be in order.

A soothing beverage on the patio is always in order, Maisie - so long as you keep on observing the interesting wildlife from the patio.

Claire

Jane, we've noticed some of the very large blue dragonflies that are around usually in August and September, but the river right now is at August/September water levels, so it may have something to do with that.

Jane, inspired by your comment upthread about the birds eating your serviceberries and their use in pies, I tried one that was ripe on one of the many shrubs I pass at work. (I think there are so many of them planted around the UNH campus that the birds can't eat them all the berries!) It was textured like a huckleberry with a similar center of fine crunchy seeds, but it had very little flavor other than a mild sweetness. It didn't have the pop of a huckleberry or blueberry nor the tang or tartness. They might be good in jams, pies (especially paired with a tart fruit like rhubarb), but it was only OK as a fresh berry. I think the birds are welcome to them and I'll stick with the strawberries and blueberries.

We watched an unusual turkey behavior yesterday. There has been a female around with 3 tiny poofs of poults, a quite late hatch. She was out in the back field with another female and apparently the poults started following the wrong female because the one they were following suddenly leaped up about 4' in the air and almost pounced on the poults. She repeated this behavior several times until she had driven the poults back to near the other female, who they then followed. Usually when we see more than one female with a group of poults, they both watch out for the little ones, but not in this case.

NHBabs, apparently that leaping female turkey was "all done" with motherhood and wanted nothing to do with more poults. Can't say that I blame her... 3 babies at this stage would be hard for this grandma to handle, too.

Some unusual behavior here today. A group of 4 Glossy Ibises (Plegadis falcinellus) were hanging around along the muddy bend of our river for most of the afternoon ... preening, hunting, and socializing. I posted photos of one back in mid-June when we usually see one or two and then they move on. We were surprised to see this group today and will have to look for them tomorrow.

NHBABS - glad you sampled them and made a decision. I'll probably not get a sample, so I'll take your word for it. Besides, I wouldn't make a pie anyway. Anything I've ever baked became a weapon of mass destruction within minutes out of the oven.

The 4th of July hawk - may be a red-shouldered youngster - don't know. It's a hawk - with a true hawk eye. I was about 75' away at noon, hence the crummy light. Have a RT hawk's nest across the street this year and boy, do they start early! Saw a parent going nuts, but what a beautiful red tail in flight. Screaming babies at the earliest crack of dawn, ay yi yi. Winter does have its pluses.

Jane

Each time they meet, it's like the first time--which is every 2 minutes or so. This seems to be a case of if you can't or won't fight ...

then jump over him

Leaping chipmunks - I love it! Maybe evolving to something like a flying squirrel?

Claire

No matter the light, Jane, your hawk photos are wonderful. And the chipmunk in flight? Hilarious.

Jane, your photos are stunning.

Not much to report here. The parsley is going fast but at least it is a good cause!

Now that's a caterpillar I would celebrate having in my garden, Maisie!

Claire

Thanks, Maisie. Looks like a Black Swallowtail caterpillar. Lovely butterflies.

The finches have 5 kids. Heaven help them. Dad is doing his best, but the youngest one drives him nuts.

He steps on his brothers, but still doesn't feed himself.

He searches for Dad

And Dad yells at him, regularly

But he begs for food

And Dad does what a good Dad does

"But I don't know which ones are safe to eat, Dad. I need you to pick them out for me!"

Well, when the kid's a teenager he'll make his own choices, good or bad.

Very funny series, Jane.

Claire

My husband took these photos of a young Night Heron walking through the bow of the river. I love the way his white crown mimics the shining tips of the grasses.

Looks like the 7-10 split in bird bowling

I had to google that one, not being an accomplished/knowledgeable bowler. Obviously the chipmunk is a master.

Claire

This Metallic Green Sweat Bee is at least 2 days early - no pollen yet. But, he is first. :)

I think it was PAT in Michigan who asked about feeding suet in the summer. Well, today the new kids on the block have learned about the good stuff. Too many shots to post, but for anyone interested in seeing what 14 minutes in the life of a suet cage looks like, click here:14 Minutes in the life of a suet cage

Jane

Very good! A lot of huffing and puffing and drama, but the red-belly just doesn't take that blue jay seriously. Woodpeckers are awesome birds.

Claire

Jane, the colors green bee on the echinacea is gorgeous. And what a fun series of the suet feeder. I am impressed at how long the woodpecker stayed against the blue jay since they are so aggressive.

I really am glad you posted those pictures, Jane. I put my suet cages back out and there have been no woodpeckers at all, just blackbirds and jays, and now I remember that the reason I took them in, back in May, I think, is because the woodpeckers were not winning the battles at the suets over the blacks and jays. I was mad. I took them in. And now the broods have fledged without knowing about the suets and I'm still getting jays and blacks. So, I think, the lesson is that I should never have taken them down in May. All winter I had WPs. When I started feeding a mixed seed in my feeders in the Spring, I attracted the jays. Never again. Safflower is my only food in Spring/Summer/Maybe Fall. Do you keep all of your suet feeders out year round or just one in the Summer?

Pat, the only adjustments I've made over the years is switching to safflower seed for a few summer months when the sparrow fledglings out number the dandelions. Otherwise, I use a good blend, very light on millet, for the rest of the year and buy suet by the case in the fall when it goes on sale at Agway. I have just the one seed feeder, one suet cage and one hummer feeder. What I did do was plant extensively with native plants that attract everybody. Plus, we live in a somewhat wooded area.

Feeding birds is all about me. They will continue on long after I'm gone. They are my entertainment as I photograph them mostly through my office windows. What I have learned even more so from observing them is that NONE of this is my design. Mother Nature never consulted Jane and we all know she doesn't give a tinker's dam what I think. So whoever, whatever, comes because I put food out, is all on me. If a hawk steals a mourning dove in my yard, I feel bad for the dove, good for the hawk. He will live another day. Many hawks do not reach maturity due to starvation.

I've learned that birds do not have the greed gene. They take what they can eat, store what they can if that is their habit - like BC Chickadees - but nothing goes to waste. When the birds fool around on the feeder and seed goes to the ground, the chipmunks, et al, eat well. I have a wonderful neighbor who buys only shelled sunflower seeds, pricey stuff, and uses a feeder that is weight balanced to exclude blue jays, grackles and all the guys she doesn't want to feed. She likes little birds. She won't even look up when I say, "Oh, look! A red tail hawk!". She can't stand hawks. But she is a great, kind woman who gives and gives of herself - just not to big birds.But she too feeds all year long and is concerned when her regulars disappear.

Long answer here, but yes, I keep the same feeders year round filled and have a ton of birds that are happy and fight among themselves - just the way Mother Nature designed it. Any bird here is okay by me. Pat, I say do what makes you feel good in your birding area because, to me, it's all about us watching them; not them depending on us. (I know that is a debatable subject in the current ranks of ornithology, but that's not where I am.) Life is easier if I don't hate anything. I have to work on the sn*ke thing, lol, that's fear. Maybe a trip to New Hampshire would help. :)

Birds pay me back ten fold just for being themselves. This little guy is worth all the sugar I can give him:

Link to Buddy being Buddy - - - Buddy

Jane

Very wise words, Jane, and a kind attitude.

Claire

I very much appreciate your thoughtful reply, Jane. Takes some of us a lifetime to get that wise.

Pat

PAT - One more thing. Just this afternoon someone told me about bears and suet - it's one of their favorite things. If you have bears, forget the suet. We just had a bear sighting in our area so I took the feeder down moments ago. Apparently, once a bear scores big on suet, the X is on your door for a long time. I now have crushed woodpeckers. I'll give them a map to your house. :)

Jane

Jane, I love the photos of Buddy with his fanned tail feathers. And I really liked your reply to Pat.

No bears this far south in Michigan, nearish to Ohio border, and cannot figure out why Connecticut would have them, but that's some research for tomorrow.

I'll take your woodies. I put a mix on the ground this afternoon and the jays and blacks left the suet alone :-o I think I learned that tactic from Claire but when you're old as dirt you don't always remember those tricks.

This thread is getting long so I'm setting up a new one. As always, you're welcome to continue the discussion here, but new topics should go to the new thread.

Claire