Hi John 7-inch Prairie Rattler, Nunn driveway ... :-)
Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn http://coloradobirder.ning.com/ Mobile: http://coloradobirder.ning.com/m On May 16, 9:09 pm, JohnT <[email protected]> wrote: > Cobirds: > This does indeed relate to birds. Read on.... > > These are over the last four days in Boulder County: > > Green racer (Coluber constrictor) - 1 adult - Gunbarrel CO - struggling to > get traction on a concrete slab > Green racer (Coluber constrictor) - another adult - devouring a mouse - > Gunbarrel CO > Bullsnake (Pituophis melanoleucus) - 1 - large adult over 5 feet at Teller > Lake 5 > Wandering garter snake (Thamnophis elegans) - 1 - at Teller Lake > Northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon) - 1 - in canal between Twin Lakes, > Gunbarrel CO > Western rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) - 1 - Singletree Bike Trail, > Superior CO > > Yep, the snakes are out. And this will be the best week to see them, as > they are coming out of underground burrows after all the snow held them > back. They're hungry and looking for mates. And they are declining all > over Colorado due to habitat loss. > > Bullsnakes are particularly good bird hunters - using their incredible > sense of smell to locate nestlings and bird eggs. They will climb right up > a tree trunk using friction and muscles to get to the branches. I've seen > them take chickadees, robins, and hairy woodpeckers. > > Rattlesnakes and racers occasionally take birds also, but more so small > mammals like rats and mice. > > I know for some it's hard to stay the urge to interfere when you see a > snake take a bird - but remember this is part of the balance. And we need > snakes more than ever, as they continue to decline everywhere. Give them a > chance and you may be rewarded in seeing some phenomenon few take that time > to observe. If you begin to relish finding snakes the way you might relish > looking for baby great horned owls, then your on to something. Hurray for > the snakes! > > John T (Tumasonis) of Louisville CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
