Wild Kingdom

We've seen some interesting critters in our back yard over the years. Armadillos, jack rabbits, possums, tarantulas, road runners...

This guy.... If you can't tell, it's a porcupine. He's got his Mohawk on.

There has been the occasional snake, too: A pretty green Mexican racer that rattled the leaves it was hiding in trying to make me think it was a rattle snake.

And this guy, the beneficial rat snake.

But never have hubby and I seen this kind of drama unfold, particularly not in the plant bed right off our porch. It was like watching a National Geographic documentary on the lives of snakes.

Look! A snake. So... it's just a ribbon snake. No, it's more.

Is that two snakes? What are they doing?

Oh my! The ribbon snake is eating the other snake. (Don't know what kind it was.)

Kind of wished I'd had a video camera.

Here it is around that one branch of the pavonia. It tugged and tugged on its meal that was wrapped around the branch to the left. 

But eventually the eatee couldn't hold on any more. Even at this point the eatee's tail wiggled.

 Here, you can just see the last little tip of the tail sticking out of the ribbon snake's mouth.

Ahh... I can't believe I ate the whole thing. Come on give us a nice hearty belch.

The whole process took ten, fifteen minutes at the most and was totally fascinating to watch. Have you ever seen something like this?

Walk Like an Egyptian

A lot of migratory birds pass through Texas on their way south in the winter and north in the spring. Some years are better than others. In our area, when there's been rain we see robins. But it's been so dry the past three years robins have by-passed us.

Every year, for who knows how many, at least one  Rufous-sided Towhee has spent the winter in our yard under the ligustrums and the cedar elm. One year there were five. But mostly it's been a solitary male. Then every spring, sometime between February and March he disappears. It couldn't possibly be the same bird could it?

Rufus at the frozen bird bath.

Last month for a couple of weeks we had a Philadelphia Vireo feeding at the suet. We'd never seen anything like this plain little bird before and struggled to make an identification. Apparently it's kind of rare for it to be seen this far west and at this time of year.

Many years ago, before digital cameras, I got pictures of this pretty duck. I have yet to be able to identify it.

Which brings me to... Friday was a beautiful day so we decided to take a drive in the '57 Chevy. While out and about we came across these guys. They have a mask over their eyes and a spot in the middle of their chests.

 And pink legs!

What an odd looking goose.

A little research and I find out they're Egyptian geese, native to the Nile valley, imported into the states. There's an article about them HERE. They are actually a cross between a goose and a duck. No wonder they look kind of confused or surprised.

One never knows what one will see off one's back porch or while taking a Sunday drive on Friday. Do you bird watch or notice the animals and insects that inhabit your yard?