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The "Other" things you see when Birding


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On 5/7/2022 at 8:25 AM, Tim Emmerzaal said:

I am still amazed how this snake (Western Fox Snake? in Rochester, MN) got so high up in the tree! 

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20200525_1408_TE_7DmkII_7928-Pano.thumb.jpg.2cab8cffc449060a95732b815cb45a06.jpg

 

 

Snakes can climb far better than you would think, just looking at them.

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Okay, herpophiles, a little help here, please.

Lee State Park, central SC; May 8, 2022.  A wet-to-swampy hardwood bottomland.  The snake was about 2 to 2.5 feet long, in a clear area of water in otherwise heavily shrubed swamp.  It never moved in the three or four minutes I watched it.

Is that a slitted pupil I see?  Is there a pit in front of the eye?  Immature water moccasin?

image.thumb.png.94e4b15503f1c55018043173dcfd9761.png

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Meet Junco Jr? ...
He was out for more of an adventure than his scolding parents had agreed to?

This really should be titled 'The bird I saw while doing other things' 

Out today in the rain and wind testing sprinkler systems and getting soaked from every direction in spite of a full suit of rain gear. I see a Junco flush out of a shrub obviously annoyed and I suspected that I spooked her off a nest but when I went looking I found this little guy exploring out on the lawn. He ran around for a while and then took shelter under this flower.

20220512_144843.jpg

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On 3/21/2022 at 10:49 PM, Avery said:

Thank you! Here are the other shots of #2 I got

P1410845.thumb.JPG.e963210f9c5b8782988ce6760af0b41c.JPGP1410844.thumb.JPG.4060324676e20769f5c907e9e9d7d52b.JPGP1410843.thumb.JPG.4758aad0a4c7519a6de586e58c8a04a1.JPG

Didn't get any other shots of #3.

Shots of #4 are same angle

For future reference, what are good pictures to take for ID? I'm not sure what I should be looking for to try and ID turtles. Also, is there a good field guide you would recommend for herps?

Looking closer, I think it's a Coastal Plains Cooter.

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On 3/21/2022 at 11:15 PM, Avery said:

Sorry to lump this on as well, but in my ignorance last summer I called this a Painted Turtle…

 

B2432058-5F2E-427F-B941-686E9257C9A4.jpeg

Where?

It looks like a Peninsula Cooter but unless this was in Florida that's not correct.

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On 3/23/2022 at 8:43 PM, Birding Boy said:

First bat and first herp of the year, Little Brown Bat (Not sure?) and the usual Green Frog.

852877631_ScreenShot2022-03-23at9_40_31PM.thumb.png.83ecb35388a30ec4258ff3b8423b8225.pngDSC_4759.thumb.JPG.221b60632d423157fd25d9778a6084fa.JPG

Looks like the bat could also easily also be an Indiana Myotis, possibly a Northern Myotis or Big Brown Bat, or maybe even a Eastern Pipistrelle.

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On 4/26/2022 at 10:11 PM, Birding Boy said:

I think I found a herp lifer, a Shorthead Garter snake the other day in Rochester, NY. @Seanbirds any thoughts? Its about 100 miles east and 20 miles north of the nearest cluster of sightings on iNaturalist. Probably better sources out there to track their distribution though. Crappy pics, I was a tad low on time...DSC_5721.thumb.JPG.0d3b7a2548992611764c6b7c294e093e.JPG

DSC_5714.JPG

Sorry, but this is a Common Ribbonsnake (Northern Ssp.)

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57 minutes ago, Seanbirds said:

Where?

It looks like a Peninsula Cooter but unless this was in Florida that's not correct.

Murfreesboro TN

 

1 minute ago, Seanbirds said:

Looks like they're all Common Watersnakes. Where are you located again?

Nashville TN

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On 5/9/2022 at 5:16 PM, Charlie Spencer said:

Okay, herpophiles, a little help here, please.

Lee State Park, central SC; May 8, 2022.  A wet-to-swampy hardwood bottomland.  The snake was about 2 to 2.5 feet long, in a clear area of water in otherwise heavily shrubed swamp.  It never moved in the three or four minutes I watched it.

Is that a slitted pupil I see?  Is there a pit in front of the eye?  Immature water moccasin?

image.thumb.png.94e4b15503f1c55018043173dcfd9761.png

image.png.f9fb6b8cd29f9e3050dc6868429ef9d4.png

Definitely a Cottonmouth. Nice!

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8 minutes ago, Avery said:

Murfreesboro TN

All right, then I think it would have to be a River Cooter. Something really helpful for turtles in-hand is to take a look at the plastron (underside). Just a handy tip for if you ever catch another. Take a pic of the belly.

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