Silly Rabbit

Such a funny bunny. Marsh rabbits, Sylvilagus palustris, are very common in the work swamp. I have read that they are good swimmers, but have no personal knowledge of this fact. I think it would be very amusing to watch a rabbit swim -- do they keep their ears up or lay them back? Exactly how would one do a bunny paddle?
I should be able to keep track of sightings of this particular rabbit. It has a distinctive notch in its right ear. Hmmm, wonder if it caught its ear on a briar....

Maybe if I turn away that pesky ranger will leave me alone. This grass is delicious and I have much more to eat...go away ranger.

What's Shakin'?

 

Things are very busy, both at home and at work, so I don't have time to do a proper post. But I can't let you go without a swamp fix for too long :) So here you go -- this is a picture of the south end of a rattlesnake I saw at work today. I didn't get any good shots of the whole snake -- sorry :(

Puzzled

 

This fellow appears to be a cooter...genus Pseudemys. I'm having a little trouble working him down to species though. His characteristics are proving difficult to key out. He keeps coming out betwixt and between species. Hybrid, perhaps?

But, no matter what, he sure has a pretty face.

Battered, But Beautiful

 

 

Box turtles hold a special appeal for me. For many years now I have kept a photographic record of the ones that live in the home swamp. It is always a pleasure to come across one of "my" turtles, especially if it's been several years since I have seen a particular individual. The turtle above was first found and photographed back in July of 2004. She was quite distinctive because of the obvious trauma she had suffered at some point in her life. Treebeard found her again last Friday and remembered that she was one of mine. He brought her to the house so I could see her. She is still in great shape and quite perky. I updated her photo and took her back to where Treebeard found her.

Live long and prosper, Lucky One.

 

Meanwhile, Back At The House

 

Things are progressing at the construction site. There was a hiccup with the county inspectors over the chimney, but that has been resolved. Work inside is moving along as insulation and drywall are being installed. Siding should be making an appearance sometime soon.

We are becoming more and more comfortable with the idea that we are going to be homeowners -- or perhaps we're just numb with the shock of being in debt ;)

Incident Info

For information on wildfires visit the inciweb.org website.

You can see pictures and maps at this site and find out all sorts of information about the fires that are burning in the US.

Saturday Morning

I shared the trail with a very pretty ratsnake. He was unusual in that he retained a good bit of his juvenile markings despite his large size.

Skinkus interruptus...accidentally disturbed a pair of skinks that may have been getting ready to get to know each other a little better. This is the female; the red-headed male scampered off when I got too close.

Treebeard is showing you this male turtle's long front claws. Male sliders use their impressive nails to stroke the face of females they hope to, uh, persuade...

Damsel in distress, but the robber fly is happy.

Lichen-covered bump on a limb cuddles a couple of pea-sized hummingbird eggs.
Mom is off feeding.

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Fire update:

Over 1500 acres now
Creeping closer
Over 200 people working the fire
Lots of smoke

On Edge

 

I stood at the boundary line and watched the smoke. The fire is still a mile or so away from our boundary and thus far the winds have been in our favor. There are no homes nearby, just swamp. About 1000 acres have burned -- not necessarily a bad thing. The swamp needs fire from time to time. But still, it's hard to think of the animals out there losing their homes (at least temporarily), if not their lives. Plus, the smoke is killer.

Please keep the fire crews in mind. There are about 100 people working this incident. To our south another fire continues to burn. Over 300 people are working that one. It's hot, dirty, dangerous work. If you have some to spare, send positive energy this way...

A couple of other smoke views from a distance.

 

 

Big Bear Butt, Little Bear Feet

Odd Bird

First thing this morning, through a dirty window...I know I'm sleepy, but is that a fox?

Yep, that's a fox.

As I was getting ready to shower this morning Treebeard came back to the bathroom. He asked if I had looked out the window yet. When I looked out this is what I saw.

Increasing Radio Reception, Swamp Style

Hey Swampy, can you hear 'em now?

How about now?

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Another crazy hot day here. People get a little strange when the temperatures go up. I had my radio on scan and picked up all sorts of interesting calls.
Luckily, things were relatively calm at the work swamp...but we've got to keep our eyes and ears open. There is another wildfire out there, this one closer and to our north.
Keep your fingers crossed that we get some rain soon.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

At 4:00 a.m. the alarm clock sounded. Time to rise and shine! We had loaded the car the night before with the essentials: tally sheets, timer, thermometer, pencils, clipboard, binoculars, route sheet with GPS and physical landmarks of stops, water, and flashlights. At 4:20 a.m. we tossed in the last few things we needed - coffee, oatmeal bars, and apples - and hit the road. By 5:10 a.m. we reached our destination and had time for a quick cup of coffee before we began.
5:17 a.m. -- show time!

So what gets two relatively normal folks up and out of the house before the peep of day on a Sunday? Why the 2008 Breeding Bird Survey, of course. Fifty stops, 3 minutes per stop. Listen and look, tally the species and number of each observed. Treebeard is the official observer, I'm the assistant. Timekeeping and tallying are my jobs. Our 25-mile route goes through parts of three counties. We have found that Sunday morning is the best morning to accomplish the survey. Traffic is light and there isn't much in the way of farm equipment on the road. Since we are in the country, the people that do pass by tend to stop and see if everything is okay. We tell them what we're up to and they wish us luck and continue on. There is something reassuring about that :)

By 9:43 a.m. we're done. Time to head home and catch a nap before finishing the paperwork.

Soupy Saturday

 

Time for a little whining -- it's hot, it's humid, and it's smoky out there. We're stuck in a weather pattern that's less than pleasant. In addition, there is a huge wildfire to our south that is sending smoke up our way. And speaking of that fire, there's a good chance I may be sent south sometime soon to help work it...

Okay, I'm done. No more whining. Hope you have a great weekend!