Archive for June, 2010
The Great Blue Heron and the Snake that Wouldn’t Give Up!
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010It was lunchtime when my wife called excitedly to me: “There’s a Great Blue Heron across the lagoon trying to eat a snake – and it looks like the snake is wrapped around the heron’s neck!” I quickly grabbed the video camera and picked up the action with the heron trying to figure out how to get the snake off its neck and into its gullet!
I’m not sure what kind of snake it was – either a black racer or a water moccasin, I believe – but its head was already part way down the heron’s throat when I started the video. (Take a look at the heron’s neck – it’s pretty fat with the snake part-ways in to it.)
But that snake must have seen the “Never, ever give up!” cartoon with the frog wrapping its hands around a heron’s throat, as it had wrapped itself around this Great Blue Heron’s neck and head. The heron was trying to figure out how to get itself out of this predicament and devour his uncooperative lunch. We’ll pick up the action there …
Turtles Stage Log-Rolling Competition
Monday, June 28th, 2010It started as a peaceful summer afternoon in the lagoon behind our house: two Yellow-bellied Slider turtles relaxed on a floating log, enjoying the sunshine amid the languid waters. But when a third turtle decided to join them, MAYHEM broke out – and the ensuing “Log-rolling Olympics” had the turtles scrambling to stay afloat!
Catch all the action here:
Mr. Bluebird on my … Rear-view Mirror?
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010Every once in a while, the interactions between humans and nature produce some, er … unexpected results. Something as innocent as my neighbor leaving his truck parked in his driveway – nothing wrong with that, right? – can cause a seemingly harmless and innocent creature to fly into a rage.
When one thinks of an Eastern Bluebird, images of a beautiful, gentle bird come to mind. After all, they are bedecked in bright royal blue and orange colors, and often are set upon by their randy immigrant neighbors, the House Sparrows and the Starlings (both introduced from Europe), who compete with the Bluebirds for nesting holes in the neighborhood.
But perhaps some Bluebirds have had all they can stand and aren’t going to take it anymore! At least this one seemed to be ready to defend his territory against all comers – even another “phantom” Bluebird!
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Great Blue Heron – N.I.M.B.Y.
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010Here’s another addition to my N.I.M.B.Y. – “Nature In My Back Yard” – collection of pictures and videos. I was biking around our neighborhood near Bluffton and saw this handsome Great Blue Heron (is it a male or a female? not sure how to tell with these herons …) heading to a nearby lagoon in search of dinner. It was no more than 25 feet away from the road, and I happened to have my pocket camera along with me – something I’ve learned to do more often now!
I rode on past, then parked my bike next to a tree and slowly walked back to where I could see him and snapped this shot – a very handsome bird framed by the trees with the lagoon behind him (or her):
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Anhinga Drying its Wings at Savannah NWR
Friday, June 4th, 2010I took this video of a male Anhinga drying out its wings along the Laurel Hill Drive in the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge on Memorial Day weekend 2010. This road is now closed to all visitors from June 1 to January 2011 for repairs to the water management system that runs under the road in several places.
Anhinga drying out its wings at Savannah NWR
I wanted to get out to the refuge before the road was closed so I could get some good pictures and videos, and I was rewarded for my efforts!