St. Marks NWR November 2015

 Just completed another trip down to St. Marks NWR. This place has quickly become a favorite of mine. Where else can you walk in beautiful pine stands or along canals and see so much wildlife? Maybe even have a gator laying in the road ahead, like we did. We logged 26 miles on foot and at times were so remote we felt like the only humans around. The weather was sunny and warm, and while I was slightly disappointed we didn't see more snakes, other wildlife was plentiful. Alligators, deer, raccoon, lizards, frogs, and 3 snakes. Birds included Bald Eagles, Osprey, Owl, several kinds of herons, Anhingas (new to me) and even a Vermilion Flycatcher. To see one of these beauties in the eastern US is a rare treat. All in all another wonderful trip, let the planning begin for the next one!

Whitetail Doe

Peninsula Ribbon Snake

Raccoon

Selfie by an alligator filled canal

Anhinga

Gator Crossing

Vermilion Flycatcher-quite rare

Bald Eagle

2015-An exceptional year for observing Timber Rattlesnakes!

2015 turned to be a banner year for me with Timber Rattlesnakes. These are my favorite snakes, and one of the most awesome creatures in the world. My first find of '15 was on May 31, a pretty brown coloration coiled tightly in a sun spot hidden among the rocks and grass. On June 9th, I walked up on a huge rattlesnake lying in the shade of a cedar. The girth of this snake immediately caught my eye, my hope that it may be a gravid female would turn out to be true. On July 31, Sonya and I decided to take a field road we normally don't visit and were rewarded with a beautifully colored yellow phase timber basking in the road. I took pics and then backed off enough to let him slip quietly away into a pine thicket.  I was searching for snakes in the rocks and grass on August 7th and had not been able to find a thing, I made a 180 turn and was more than a little surprised to find a yellow phase rattlesnake only feet from me that appeared to have freshly shed. Amazed at how quietly it had shown up, I took some pics and headed out. On August 18 I found two more rattlers in the rocks and was lucky enough to witness the courtship and mating rituals of the timber rattlesnake. I quietly observed this incredible scene for better than 2 hours taking pics and video while being careful to not disturb them. On August 21st I took a pic of the gravid female coiled in one of her favorite basking spots. She was about a month away at this time from giving birth and just huge, the girth of her body was incredible. I discovered on September 10th that this gravid female I had followed all summer had given birth to 8 newborn. The babies all appeared healthy and were with her for more than 2 weeks before departing. She was very wary and protective of them at all times I observed and she also had an adult male with her for several days after they were born. On September 14th I found a second gravid female that appeared to be ready to give birth at any moment. A couple days later she was no where to be found, hopefully she was able to give birth to a healthy brood. I was able to observe the female and some others well in October before the cool temps arrived and then they were gone. Before summer of 2013 I had never seen a Timber Rattlesnake in the wild, in 2015 I saw 8 different adult rattlers and 8 newborn....plus the bonus of witnessing behavior and observing them in habitat. What an incredible year indeed!

Timber Rattlesnake Basking

Gravid Timber Rattlesnake in situ

Me photographing a rattlesnake

Timber Rattlesnake

Gravid Timber Rattlesnake

Yellow Phase Timber Rattlesnake

Timber Rattlesnake with young

Timber Rattlesnakes Mating

Gravid female basking (note male under rock to the right)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Smoky Mountains are one my favorite places in the world. Visiting  in mid October, we were a bit early for fall colors. Saw lots of pretty spots but it was scattered. Got in some nice hiking, seeing some of the Old Settler's Trail and walking Cucumber Gap...always a favorite. There's nothinglike walking in the woods in the fall, the smell of fresh earth and on many trails I can detect a spicy aroma that is so awesome I just stand there and breath it in. Other time was spent walking Middle Prong or Little River taking pics along the water and driving thru Cades Cove. As always when the time to leave the mountains had come, I"ll take a long way out and wind through those mountains and along that river one last time. As I drive out in the sunshine and along the rushing water, I replay in my mind each day we had just spent in this wondrous place. I think about wonderful times present and past spent here and hope that I'm fortunate enough to return again soon.

Cades Cove Sunrise

Cold morning in Cades Cove

Middle Prong of Little River

Whitetail Buck

View from Newfound Gap

Old Settler's Trail

Sonya and I along Little River

Black Bear

Trip to Apalachicola NF and St. Mark's NWR

Met my younger brother Rich in Atlanta last weekend, from there we headed south to Florida. Sunday afternoon found us road cruising the sandy roads of the Apalachicola NF. Lots of beautiful long leaf pines mixed with live oaks and spanish moss. One of the very first places we drove yielded a beautiful little Pygmy Rattler. Took lots of pics, moved him from the road and continued on. Only thing else seen that night were 2 Garter Snakes. Early on day two found us in St. Mark's NWR, walking a roadway of pines, swamps, and oak hammocks. Saw tons of Green Tree Frogs and several Green Anole. We were really snake hunting though and had not spotted one yet. We turned and headed back toward the car and I walked off peering into a grassy patch to find a huge Cottonmouth coiled and basking, largest one I have ever seen. Road cruising again that evening/night yielded 2 more Pygmy's and an Eastern Glass Lizard. Day 3 again in St. Mark's, walking the same road as morning before and we found 4 more Pygmy Rattlesnakes. They are so cool and their camouflage, like most snakes, is incredible. Alas, our time was short and we had to get going. Rich and I took a walk thru his snake spots the next morning and uncovered a beautiful Smooth Earth Snake...a first for me! From there I was again homeward bound. Reflecting on the trip as I drove away I replayed lots of the moments Rich and I had shared. Tons of laughs and good times and I ALWAYS learn something new about wildlife and photography whem I'm with Rich. Can't wait to get together again.

Green Tree Frog

Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake

Green Anole

Me with a Pygmy Rattler

Florida Cottonmouth

Me and Rich

St.Mark's NWR Sunrise

Pygmy Rattlesnake