Is that... ?

Emily, the new Environmental Education Coordinator, sticks her head inside the door.  I'm standing in the kitchen cleaning off the counters when I hear her ask, "Is that a copperhead?"

I turn to face her.

"A what?"  I see she's pointing to the rocks that line the side of the porch and, sure enough, a snake roughly 15 inches long is draped like a string across the largest one.

"It's weird, isn't it?  For a snake to be out at night?"

At this point, we're both crouched on the edge of the wood flooring, me on my knees, leaning my face out over the space between myself and the young snake.

"It's definitely a copperhead," she reasons.  "See the bow-tie pattern?"

"I've never seen one," I respond.

Copperheads are one of the three species of poisonous snake indigenous to Pennsylvania.  Earlier in the spring I mentioned the black rat snakes we'd been seeing, which itself is a non-venoumous snake.  So, for your viewing pleasure and knowledge, this is what a copperhead looks like:

Photo courtesy of Jeff Kubina and venomoussnakes.net

"Porch Sitting"

Where I'm from, "porch sitting" is a recreational activity that takes place on nice days between late spring and early fall, during which you... sit on someone's porch.  I've taken to "porch sitting" since moving down here, since the porch opens up right into the Preserve.  However, I discovered someone doing this activity on my porch today without me.

A broad-headed skink.  This little lizard was so fast, the first time I saw him this morning, I couldn't catch him.  I was partially afraid I might crush him if I grabbed him too hard, so I was afraid to really go for it.  When I saw him again in the afternoon, however, in the exact same spot, this time I brought a tool: a big, plastic cup.

I managed to scoop him and take one picture before my curiosity got the best of me and I stuffed my hand down to the bottom to see what he felt like.  He took this opportunity to launch out of the cup and run away, me chasing him across the porch, into the driveway, and up under some rocks (in my bare feet, no less).

Here he is, for your viewing pleasure:

Delicious Smells

Sweet Melissa.  Purple horse mint.  Lemon beebalm.

In the Sensory Garden at Strawberry Hill, plants are growing full speed with all of these alternating sunny and rainy days.  All the names above are for the same plant: lemon mint!

Plants in the mint family always have a square stem.  Even catnip--cat mint--is part of the mint family.  The flowers typically have four stamen and five united petals.  The leaves typically have rounded teeth.

The Sensory Garden acts as a dynamic area for those with sensory disabilities, like blindness.  I reach down, running my hands all over the Lemon Mint, and they come away smelling like yummy citrus fruits from faraway lands.  I dab my fingers on my neck because it smells so delicious.  It isn't the only fun plant in full bloom!  Come check out all the nifty little things in the Sensory Garden, and the Butterfly Garden that's attached!

Photo courtesy of the American Botanical Council.

Snakes in the Cupboard

I grab my ringing phone off the wall, "Hello?"

"Hey, so... there's a snake in my kitchen.  He's little, but would you maybe want to come and get it out for me?"

I hop in my car, drive down to Camp Eder, and my friend Gabriel is standing against the wall of the kitchen when I enter the cabin.  He's staring intently into one of his bottom cupboards.

I peek my head around the corner and see the cutest little baby black rat snake curled up in a cast iron frying pan, licking the air in our direction.  I let out my coos (just as any girl might) and scooped him up with one hand.

Since it was below 60 degrees outside (raining) and we'd found him indoors, I put him in a terrarium with some warm water bottles for the night.  I know in the photo he appears greenish, but he was completely gray with those black diamond shapes on his back.  His belly was iridescent.  Black rat snakes generally turn completely black (or all black with a little bit of white here and there) later in life, and this pattern on the young helps to keep them camouflaged.

I named him Blinky (ha!) and let him go just outside of my own cabin, hoping I might see less mice in my home over time.  I hope I see him again someday soon!

The New Ugly "Duckling"

One of the fifth grader's taking part in Waynesboro School District's Outdoor School at Camp Eder found this scary looking thing.  Check him out!

I had to compliment her (and take a photo) because I have never found one this big before!  Not only that, I've never found one in flowing water, either! 

If you look closely at the back, you can see two sets of wings forming under the exoskeleton of this "little" stream critter--the forewing and the hindwing.  This nymph will split its exoskeleton, uncurling its wispy wings to take flight over the water's surface.  The head will look almost the same as it does now.  This insect's abdomen and thorax will glint in the sun, iridescent blue or green, as it seeks out smaller insects (like mosquitoes) to feast on. 

Dragonflies hover like fairytales, captivating and just out of reach, zipping past before you can blink an eye.  When they finally come to rest on the blade of a rush, they allow admirers to study their shiny bodies closely; we have a moment of awe at their bright colors and interesting shape.

The Dragonfly: the Ugly Duckling of the insect world!

The Five Senses

Two three-hour stream studies before dinner.  A two-and-a-half hour block of animal presentations after dinner.

It has been a long day.

Everything about me is dog tired: my muscles, my feet, my eyelashes are like lead weights on my eyelids.  I've been outside all day long; my face and lips are sun burnt.

You'd think the last thing I'd want to do when I got home is be outside, but I find all I want to do is sit on the porch in the dark, admiring a perfectly clear, bright velvet sky harboring millions of little stars and a storybook crescent moon.

Everything is still.  No wind.  There's a chill in the air, but a long sleeved shirt is enough.

Something in the woods crashes through the leaves.  All I can tell is that it's going downhill and isn't very graceful.  It's probably a skunk or a opossum--something with short legs--but I also dream up bears and coyotes... (wishful thinking).  Whatever it is, it's less than 50 yards from me.

I find myself thinking, "If only I could see in the dark.  Like a cat."

I follow the creature, whatever it is, with my ears until it's too far away for me to discern any details about footsteps.  My eyes stab into the darkness.  I'm trying so hard to see just a little further, to make the little light from my living room window work more to my advantage, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't see well in the dark.

Imagine all the things I'd discover if I could.

Adding to Your "Life List"

For birders, a "Life List" is the combined list of all the birds they've ever spotted (or for some, at least heard).  There's a certain feeling of elation that goes along with seeing a bird for the first time: palpitations, a jolt of energy to the stomach, maybe a light sweat, perhaps a fast grin.  Sometimes you spend all morning looking for one particular bird, or maybe you've been looking for a bird for weeks, or you know about a bird to at least hope you see it before you die, and so when you finally see it, it's a huge accomplishment.  Or, a huge surprise.

Sometimes they find you first.

Through the years, there have been plenty of times I've found myself flipping through the Peterson or Sibley field guides to identify a bird.  Many times, I pause on the Indigo Bunting page, wishing just once, I could see one, but always missing it.

Today, driving home, I saw the brightest blue flash of feathers along the road side!  I stopped my car immediately (I was not on a main road) so that I could get a closer look.  Despite never having seen an indigo bunting in real life, I've spent so much time pining over the pictures that I knew the bird instantly.  How beautiful!  How cute!  How exciting!

What things have you been pining over that you can add to your "Life List"?

Photo courtesy of Classy View Point and Lang Elliot

Slithering Snakes

On Thursday, a black rat snake appears from the grate in the grill (we think), and climbs a wall.  I've never seen a snake climb a vertical surface, but this snake makes its body into perfect right angles, melding against the bricks in the wall, hovering its tapered head in different directions looking for the best place to go.  I never knew those belly scales were so strong!  Swimmers and climbers, all with no legs.

Today, a black rat snake makes its way across the trail and into the aviary where we can watch it slither around, poking its head against the sides until it eventually turns around and goes back out the door.  Snakes--these feared creatures that keep our rodent population at levels worth applauding--are amazing!  On these warm spring days, you'll be sure to see them out and about, soaking up the sun.

If you're out hiking on a sunny day, make sure you're glancing down consistently to help prevent any accidents, especially in sunny areas, in boulder fields, or on rocky outcrops.  Snakes typically will not bite unless they are stepped on or handled.  Before they bite, they release a substance from the cloacal vent (called musk) that will easily wash out of clothing, but that has a terrible lingering smell.  I'm inclined to say worse than a skunk.  It's a common defense mechanism for snakes to rattle their tails quickly, even if they're not a rattle snake, so if you hear that sound, you've probably disturbed one.  Try not to make a habit of rolling over big rocks.

Never pick up a wild snake, venomous or non-venomous!

Venomous snakes: have slitted pupils (like cats) and have triangular-shaped heads (because their venom glands sit near the back of the jaw).  There are only three venomous snakes in Pennsylvania: northern copperhead, massasauga rattle snake, and the timber rattle snake.

Non-venomous snakes: have round pupils (like people) and have slender heads.  There are about 18 species of non-poisonous snakes in Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit the PA Fish and Boat Commission website or this handy herp-ID site.

Photo courtesy of Rosie Molinary