Wildlife in Photography

Saturday afternoon was great for reptiles at Huntley Meadows Park.

Near a familiar type of bush was a Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus aestivus) like I’ve seen in the past. This guy was smaller than the one I saw last time, with a body about the thickness of a pencil.

For a while, it slowly maneuvered between the branches and became most active when a wasp flew to some flowers in close proximity – It gained a posture that could have led to a strike on the bug (but didn’t).

I’ve found many tadpoles on recent outings and they seem to be growing quite rapidly. As I scanned the water around the boardwalk I found this small group.

The largest toward the bottom of the photo has a body about the size of a quarter. I imagine it won’t be too much longer before they begin to grow their limbs.

About halfway down the boardwalk, I noticed a pattern in the mud.

Given the location and temperatures, I’m sure it is a trail left from a snake moving through.

I briefly scanned the front area of the boardwalk, but didn’t see any of the Mergansers from recent outings. I did see a mother Mallard with her young, but distance prevented the shot.

As I returned to the area near the greensnake, I saw a number of frogs jumping. At first I thought it could be from fear of me. Then I saw this.

At about an inch in thickness, this long black snake was winding its way through the grasses. Suddenly it stopped. I wasn’t sure if it had caught a frog or what. Then without warning, it had a burst of energy and a second later was ten feet farther away. Its speed surprised me.

Although I didn’t get a shot that can use to identify it, I was still impressed by the creature.

A final scan of the area didn’t yield anything else as far as snakes, but I was able to see a very tiny muskrat.

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen a muskrat and I wasn’t expecting to find one at the peak of the heat.

Overall, a nice outing and I was able to put a few photos in the next layout.