I shamelessly got two visitors to wheelbarrow dirt and gravel to me where I was eager to work on the water feature (before temps reached 109°). Photos by Emma Mathis.
While we were thus engaged, we were distracted by a shriek from the viewing blind and a young lady flying out of it. Yup, on Emma's first visit (she's a new birder) she had a close encounter with a Diamond-backed rattler. Here's the only photo we got of it, her cell phone shot after the guys rushed to her aid. Luckily, she just happened to look down and see it. I shudder to think of what would have happened if she had stepped on it. (I need to be extra careful when I go back to working with the rocks on the water feature.)
The new water feature uses about 2" of water per week, which is acceptable considering how hot it is. That comes to less than 20 gallons per week, I think. I took my first photos of a bird at it today... adult Black-throated Sparrow, followed by juvenile.
2 comments:
I think you've done a very good job with the water feature....mother nature takes a long time to make one. The important thing is that the birds benefit!!
Did that rattler make a sound, or did she just see it? It looks pretty ready to go!
Thanks. I'm always super critical of my work. The rattler didn't make a sound. She noticed it slithering towards her. She fled, then when the guys appeared it was sort of cornered and it coiled and rattled. I don't think it knew she was on the stool above it but if she had stepped down, it could have been tragic! I guess a case of peripheral vision.
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