But, first, David has his usual stroll for our own little wonders, encountering this snake. I think this is a Racer since they are quite common around here.
It's best if we can see more of the snake (the head and underbelly) but I hardly expected David to tickle it. I did zoom in on the above photo for a head shot:
A Racer (northern black race) Coluber constrictor is 3 - 6' in length (that's feet, not inches). They have a slim body, smooth scales, and color is variable. They like woods, grassy and brushy areas, rocky slopes. So, until I come across something that changes my mind, I will go out on a limb and say this is a Racer snake. Don't be scared, they're not poisonous...but I still don't go around messing with them. They leave me alone, I leave them alone. It seems to work out for everyone that way.
Enough about snakes, next is some pretty stuff. The blooms in the trees are still here...and how! It is so breathtaking but it is dangerous to walk around here. I find myself gawking at everything around I forget the place can have holes and rocks that will trip me! It's difficult to pay attention, and distraction is the norm around here. You have to realize you must slow down and let your surroundings guide your day; what a waste it would be not to appreciate such beauty.
It is impossible to have a day around here without cardinals! The male, bright red directly below and the female in the other photo.
We see this bird often as we are walking down to our mailbox. It stands in the nearby field, as we draw nearer it "squeaks", runs for a bit, stops and repeats. I asked for some help on the Southern Illinois Birding Facebook page, and it was guessed to be a Killdeer (thank you Cindy!). I had seen that bird on the site she referred me to (All About Birds) but it seemed lighter and not quite the right markings; although its characteristics are similar. From all I can see though, it looks to be the one! If I find out differently, I can always update it, it's the internet for crying out loud!
And the Killdeer does have a "bright orange-buff rump conspicuous in flight"! Hmmmm....mystery solved?
Our beautiful American Goldfinch appears to be ready for Spring too...the male is changing to the Spring colors (in the winter, the male and female are the same color). I love these birds too!
As you can see in the photo below, its back hasn't quite filled in with the bright yellow feathers.
The American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) is 4 - 5" in length. The male is bright yellow, with black forehead, wings, and tail (except in winter*); female olive-green above, lighter below; white rump; *in winter, both sexes are yellowish-brown. They have an undulating flight. They like farmlands, weedy fields with scattered trees, river groves, suburbs, parks, and at feeders. They breed late in summer, when thistle-down is available for their tightly woven nests. They reside in our area year-round.
Of course, there was the usual tomfoolery from the cowbirds and blue jays vying for the feeder:
And a turkey vulture, circling overhead....
More Eastern Bluebirds:
And, to round out a lively day, a Spicebush Swallowtail:
Many fields were laden with yellow-flowered "weeds" and they're lovely (from a distance at least!). I haven't identified the plant yet, I pored over my book last night with no success. Anyway, it's unusual to me to see the fields like this; when I grew up on our farm in central Illinois, all the fields are always tilled under and all you see is soil.
Along the way, we saw Red Neck Blvd (they had a sign that said so!) and a souped-up trike.  |
| Souped-up trike (motorcycle front/car back) Lots of twists and turns along the way, some paved, some not...   |
Here is Bay Creek:
Somewhere around the Bay Bottoms area:
More turkey vultures, but on the ground this time:
On the way back home, another egret spotted on Bay Creek:
We even have a gym nearby, you never know when you want to shoot some hoops:
Oh, there's a heron:
To round out a perfect day, we also visited our nearby waterfall. It normally dries up during the summer months of course, but it is wonderful to visit in the winter and spring. As a note of interest to no one but myself, I have never been near a waterfall in person.
A perfect day but whew, that was a long post!
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