listenerofnature's Favorites

Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas (male)
Location: Durham NC (USA)
This bird crashed into a window and was stunned, but soon flew off. It was nice to see one so close--images taken with a macro lens.

Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus
Location: Durham NC (USA)
Perhaps hunting a baby cottontail that has been hanging out in my yard. Fish Crows harassed it once or twice, but the hawk ignored them--all eyes on the bunny!

I was at a pullout outside my car, trying to spot a moose. Meanwhile, this little Black Bear comes up the hillside behind me and walks past and keeps going. I work in Mammoth, and when a guest asks if they need bear spray, I say, absolutely.

LIFER! literally no words, this has to be the rarest snake in the piedmont of North Carolina. Yep! This sighting was in the piedmont of NC! went herping with a buddy, hiked many long hours inside a huge marsh/swamp habitat, not a single snake. We reached the edge of an agricultural field with a nice slow water marsh, and we found this mudsnake at the surface of the water just chilling near the base of a half submerged fallen tree.

this is not what I expected to find at all, not only that but this snake was massive! 3+ feet. I would have never guessed to have found a mudsnake today and a true “lemon head”.

This snake proved to be the hardest to photograph I’ve ever encountered! They cannot sit still and any cover placed on them they will push until it is moved. I also noticed an unusual defense mechanism where this snake used its tails to move as if the tail was its head. Its head sat still while the tail “creeped” around the ground imitating a snake searching the ground/water. I’m not sure if they are known to do this, either way I am super happy with only one snake this week and it’s the rarest around here!