Snakes and frogs and toads, oh my!

Just a quick note this evening....  today was a fun filled day at work!  First, I found this awesome ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus).  He was so cool!  Their scales are so soft it feels like silk.  It did musk on me... ick.

Next, I found this tiny baby spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer).  It was so small!  Usually where there's one baby frog, there are more, so I'll be on the lookout tomorrow.

And finally, the find of the day...  I found this awesome young American toad (Bufo americanus).  It was so calm and really small compared to the ones I usually find.  So, after some debate, I decided to bring him home.  His name is Bernard (pronounced BER-nerd, as with an English accent).  I've got Bernard all set up in a new home.  I put in some crickets, which he made quick work of, and was amazed at how fast he was at snatching them up!  He may be the coolest pet to date, well with the exception of Pacino, who remains the coolest dog in the world...

That's all for now.  Gotta get rested up for my adventure (also known as work) tomorrow.  Maybe soon I'll tell you about what I do for a living...  

'Till then, enjoy our Wild America.

Who's on your front porch?

So, I'm trying to find more meaningful things to do with my "spare" time... I'm not sure that blogging is more meaningful than anything else I've been doing lately, but we shall see.

I plan for this to be a way for me to share the things in life I enjoy.  Those of you who know me know I love all things nature - trees, flowers, animals, bugs, and mamaws.  Mamaws usually aren't found under logs, but I may throw one in there every now and then (in my writings, not under a log).  With that, I invite you to go on adventure with me!

Recently, a bird started building a nest on our front porch.  It's really small and sits on a tiny ledge above our porch column.  It appears to be made out of moss and a little mud.  I have searched all things birds to try and figure out what kind of bird it is, but I can't make up my mind.  About a week ago, there was one small egg in the nest.  Today there are three.  This picture isn't the best, but I almost think the two eggs on the outside are different from the one in the middle....  Now I'm really confused!  The momma bird freaks out and flies away every time we walk by the window or go outside, so I can't get a good picture of her.  I will persist.

While checking out the bird nest, I noticed a small spider going around in circles.  With further investigation, I discovered it was building a web.  Man, he/she worked so hard!  It was amazing watching it crawl around and connecting new strands.  I tried to get a picture, and this is the best I could do.  No idea what kind it is... I did a little research, but got freaked out by all the spider pictures.  Eeek.

That's all for tonight.  If you're lucky, I'll share some photos of our recent trip to the 5th Annual Hellbender Symposium with you in the near future....

Adieu!