Killer Snake

     To avid herpetologists who find so much to admire with such fascinating animals as snakes, it seems silly that so many people are afraid of them.  I found this young bullsnake in the driveway this morning.  Since it seemed quite lively, I decided to "play" with it a while.  Better yet, I thought the encounter might yield a good teaching opportunity.  Often, finding a bullsnake on the road results in the snake putting on quite a display of hissing, striking and even rattling its tail as if it were a rattlesnake.  I usually find that after a few seconds of these aggressive attempts, the snake can be easily picked up and calms down immediately.  All of the dramatic aggression is just a bluff--most of the time.  But this young bullsnake was up for a fight.  I wouldn't normally just let a snake bite me but I thought this might be a good demonstration that non-venomous snakes are really quite harmless, even if they do bite.  As you can see in this short clip, I let this one at me but its really not a big deal.  But, they do have very sharp but small teeth and can easily make little cuts and make you bleed.  The biggest threat is possible infection so washing thoroughly is always a good idea when handling any wild animals, especially if they've happened to take a little bite out of you.  

After having some fun with this youngster, I simply picked it up to admire and take some more pictures.  Yeah sure, they cause a stir with some folks.  But, I think they are the most graceful and beautiful of animals--one of the masterpieces of natural selection.

Batwomen

Liz and Julie check a mist net over a small stream for bats.

Big Brown Bat

     Julie (in red) and Liz (in green) were up from Texas Tech University to collect some bats in the Red Hills and I was fortunate to be an assistant.  Both are in their doctorate programs at the university.  Bats are under significant threats from White Nose Syndrome and continued habitat modifications and misinformation about them.  Of the Kansas 15 species, over half of them occur in the Red Hills.  They come out to feed along streams and over ponds at night with peak activities from dusk until about midnight and then again just before dawn.  They live in caves, barns, abandoned houses and outbuildings along with old cellars and cracks in canyon walls.  This Big Brown Bat was among three species caught a few nights ago in these mist nets which are also used to catch birds in daytime by ornithologists.  Night is not a bad time to work in this searing heat but its always a good time to see all the nocturnal creatures.  Armadillos, raccoons, Barred Owls and an interesting assortment of moths, dragonflies, spiders and coyotes also kept company.  You can't ask for more in an interesting night in the Kansas Outback.  

Roadside Companions

     A few posts ago, I brought up the issue of what seems to be unnecessary roadside mowing.  A friend and colleague classes such over-ambitious activity as "recreational mowing."  On our morning bike ride today, we were favored with American Goldfinches as they picked through the seeds of prairie sunflowers.  This is the prize we can have if we leave the country and highway roadsides to their capability to flower and attract wildlife.  The goldfinches fly along with us as we roll along, intermittently perching and pecking out the seeds.  Stopping to take better closeups, I was allowed to watch within a few feet of this goldfinch as it picked through the morning groceries. 

Thirsty Deer

     This summer is one which may pose some serious problems for wildlife.  Just as a severe winter may impose harsh setbacks for some species, drought also will impact populations.  There are fewer flowers, therefore fewer insects to feed hungry chicks.  There's less cover to provide nesting success and forage--less browse, less water for sustaining critters.  But, these conditions also may make it easier to observe wildlife.  This doe and fawn have become regular morning visitors to our small frog/bird pond.  There's not a lot of water around here so about anything supplied attracts thirsty visitors.  Supplying just a pan of water will attract songbirds and other small animals.  Put a rock in the bottom of the pan to give birds something to stand on while bathing.  If you have a way to provide a little bit of dripping water into a small pool or pan, birds are really attracted.  If you have a small frog/bird pond, you could attract a doe and fawn.  

Martin Mania

Yes, it could be out of a Hitchcock movie.  But, some of the coolest wildlife spectacles don't always happen in the outback.  Sometimes they are in the middle of the city.  In this case Wichita.  For several years now, Purple Martins, gathering from points far and wide, have been congregating at the Via Christi parking lot, along with local birders, at dusk this time of year.  They are staging, gathering in large groups for the start of their long journey south for the winter.  (These birds give us hope that this summer will be over someday!)  I happened to catch this impressive show last night and hoped to give you a feel for the numbers and noise of the event. Typically, to see such large flocks of songbirds, one would have to wait until winter when the millions of Red-winged Blackbirds concentrate in places such as Cheyenne Bottoms as they have in the past.  European Starlings can also demonstrate in some pretty impressive numbers and often in consort with blackbirds.  But, to see tens of thousands of Purple Martins as they circle to roost in the tree row on the east edge of that parking lot is truly fascinating---and quite noisy.  Its heartening to see so many since the species had been dealt crushing blows several years ago from a very cool spring after they had arrived from winter migration.  Looks like they are rebounding in fine shape at least for this population.

The Magic of Streams

 

I believe there is no better solution to Nature Deficit Disorder, coined by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, then a small stream.  Its also the best solution to beating the heat in this weather oven we are in.  Get yourself to the nearest creek and jump in.  Explore.  Find treasures in the sand and gravel.  Look up the creatures you see and find.  With proper adult supervision, a small stream offers heaven on Earth to a kid of any age.  

Roadrunner Predictor

     It's hot--a bit abnormally hot but then again we are still generally warming from the last ice age.  The real question is if this longer term warming is being accelerated by human activities.  I leave it at that but our local roadrunners tell us two things about climate change.  First, the immediate climate (weather) is that it is hot and "Roadie," named by my grandson, demonstrates how he dissipates heat--by panting in the shade and fluffing his back feathers in the same manner in which he will try to collect heat in the winter.  In the long term, Greater Roadrunners have been expanding their range northward over the past couple of decades, an indication of milder winters since they are typically a more southern US species.  The recent addition of regular roadrunners to our yard over the past three years has permitted opportunity for ample pictures, videos and study.  I'll try to get on to other subjects but sometimes its hard when these clowns of the bird world keep showing up and showing off.