watchlist

nest-building Carolina wrens
nest-building & bug eating prothonotary warblers
nest-building yellow throated warbler
nest-building kingbirds
nest-building phoebes & phoebe nests
every type of bird racing in for owl outting - one alerter sounding the alarm in steady blasts until safe
two wrens outting black rat snake drapped under honeysuckle (see photo)
two thrashers demanding observance of black rat snake zigzag clinging along oak tree trunk (see photo)
late afternoon babel of bold jacked up mockingbird
eastern painted turtles marching from & to swamp for egglaying
1 snapper & 2 mud turtles likely doing the same
slidders swinging, ducking, craning up to check it out
bald eagles perching above boathouse, flying across the yard, cruising down & up river, drifting directly above in curiosity
beaver, beaver, beaver - reinhabiting existing lodge, built a new auxilliary lodge & a scent mound which one afternoon got scented with odor much like manure, swimming with & without plant stems, waddling on the dock
two jumbo beaver rubbing noses in the middle of westbound route 60; one dead bloated two days later on roadside
great blue herons in air, on dock, in water, perched in trees, posing as sexy dudes on tree tops, soaring in & thinking better of landing, mostly startled
tree frogs seen; peepers & bullfrogs heard
luna moth
only one bat
carolina tobacco moths
beetles spinning in the dark & repeatedly banging the window
chipping sparrows
hummingbirds, 5 scouts feeding heavily for one week in April & now periodic visits
bluejays
pileated woodpeckers
cardinals galore
finches - house & purple
nuthatches
flickers
titmice
periodic flocks of cedar waxwings (including two days ago)
bluebirds in pairs & groups
squirrels, of course
thrashers including mom training two fledglings in food search & consumption techniques
sharp shinned hawk
barred owls - seen but more often heard
red tailed hawks
ok, will add omitted items later

and we had three of these

Run off by the rat snake but were small & lovely along the edge of dug water tank & undulating through the water, raising their heads & flicking their tongues.

Seen here resting.

lurking

Twice this afternoon birds told me where to look.
And they had our resident black rat snake in their announcements.

First a pair of wrens stopped collecting dry cypress leaves to make this announcement.

Then a pair of thrashers had this on their minds - hanging on the tree trunk along the poison ivy right behind my back.

snapping turtle on the go

eggs need to be laid