Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 20:40:18 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM> Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM> From: Christian Kessler <northraven@EROLS.COM> Subject: Re: Snakes vs. Birds? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit and if the snake were in a starling nest? jck Tom Stock wrote: >While counting butterflies at Little Bennett Regional Park on Saturday >the 28th of June, I and another counter chased a black rat snake off a >catbird nest. The snake had already taken at least one nestling >judging from the lump in its throat. Why did we do it? Prejudice, >pure and simple. We liked birds better than snakes. Which is not to >say I would have killed the snake. That's going way too far. (Then >again, if I came upon a snake raiding, say, a red-cockaded woodpecker >nest hole, or the nest of some other endangered species, I might >consider killing the varmint...) > >Tom Stock >Silver Spring > >PS 25 species of butterflies at Little Bennett, along with several nice >birds - the best being yellow-throated vireo, ovenbird, chat, and >nesting bluebirds. Missed Kentucky warbler, which I usually see or hear >on this count... > > >In a message dated 7/8/2003 9:42:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, >Denise_Ryan@LCV.ORG writes: > >>I didn't have anything to do with dispatching the snake myself - the story >>was told after the fact. Your point is well taken - relocating to another >>place on the property would have been a better choice. >> >>However, I would prefer to deter snakes from eating bird eggs in nesting >>boxes by using metal guards. I'm sure there are other sources of food they >>can find. >> >>Denise Ryan >>Washington, DC >> >>-----Original Message----- >>From: Marko, Thomas L. GS BUMED [mailto:TLMarko@US.MED.NAVY.MIL] >>Sent: Monday, July 07, 2003 7:56 PM >>To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM >>Subject: [MDOSPREY] Snakes vs. Birds? >> >> >>I'm not sure why snakes should occupy a lower rung than birds in the >>scheme of things called nature? Relocated, perhaps, but certainly not >>dispatched with a shotgun. >> >>Tom Marko >>Olney, MD >>tlmarko@us.med.nvy.mil >> >>-----Original Message----- >>From: Denise Ryan >>To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM >>Sent: 7/7/2003 5:22 PM >>Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Atlasing story >> >>Last year I bought a Screech Owl nest box for my Mother to add to her >>bird house collection. Earlier this spring they watched a snake of >>some kind go into the nest box. That brought about some quick action >>and the black rat snake was dispatched with a shotgun after consuming >>at least two unidentified eggs. Mom doesn't know what is nesting in >>there, but it is not an owl. She thinks Robins found a home in there. >> >>Do the metal guards added to the posts of Wood Duck boxes work to >>deter the snakes? Can anyone recommend a pattern for making such >>guards or a place to purchase them? >> >>Denise Ryan >>Washington, DC >> >>-----Original Message----- >>From: Rick Sussman [mailto:Warblerick@AOL.COM] >>Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2003 8:33 AM >>To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM >>Subject: [MDOSPREY] Atlasing story >> >> >>Hi all, >> I had an interesting occurance yesterday while atlasing. There is a >>large, old sycamore tree on the property of an old farmstead in one of >>my 1/4 blocks, which always has something interesting near it or on it >>to watch. Last week I noticed a number of holes in the branches rather >>high up, and saw a flicker at one of the entrances. Sadly I also saw a >>good number of juvenile Starlings in the same area. A pair of E. >>Kingbirds has a nest nearby, and chase anything that comes close. Also >>last week I heard and saw a Great-crested Flycatcher in the tree, so >>was hoping to confirm this yesterday. >> >> While searching the tree yesterday I noticed a bit of snakeskin on a >>branch very close to one of the holes, flapping in the breeze. AHA! I >>thought, GCFL nest (they are big users of snakeskins in their nests)! >>I got out my scope for a better look. When I focused it on the closest >>hole, however, what I found was not one but a pair of black rat >>snakes. One was in the hole with just its head poking out, the other >>was just emerging from the hole, and I watched it for a while, >>fascinated. As it came out it began rubbing its head on the branch >>where the remaining cast-off skin was, continuing its shedding >>process. Evidently that's where the skin came from that I had first >>seen. This pair of snakes was about 35 feet up in the tree, and all I >>can hope is that they were there for Starlings and not Flickers... >> >>Rick Sussman >>Ashton,MD >>warblerick@aol.com >> > >======================================================================= >To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com >with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey >======================================================================= > ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================