another snakectomy required

Good News:  snake proved to be a juvenile rat snake & not a copperhead
Bad News:  prothonotary warblers hatched in that bird box Saturday morning

snake-ectomy ... with gadget

Wondering if this is the same big boy we pulled from the bluebird house last year
We likely have a recidivism problem.

one definition of AMBITION

waiting for the motivational poster

snake-ectomy

alerted to situation by outraged chickadee; it isn't even his nest. 

Snake-ectomy successful; although it was of a full snake from an empty bluebird nest
Triumphant photo-op omitted in preference for quick release of pissed off black rat snake
Afterwards, chickadee, blue-gray gnatcatcher & prothonotary warbler all stood nearby & rattled off their opinions - perhaps complaining that I hadn't gotten there quick enough.

Mr. Snake

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.