Rainbow Dragon's Dares

**Rainbow Dragon** · May 14, 2021, 04:58 PM

Finally more nice weather here, and lots of bird activity in my neighbourhood!

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - FOY. Two females have been visiting our feeders this morning.

Northern Cardinal (male)

Indigo Bunting (male). Sadly, this guy did not show up until after I'd come back inside. My only photos were shot through a not-so-clean window, so all are out of focus. But the colour on these guys this time of year is spectacular!

American Redstart (male)

Swainson's Thrush

**Mianevem** · May 14, 2021, 08:04 PM

Gorgeous birds, all of them!

**CODawn** · May 14, 2021, 09:48 PM

Wow....really cool! Thank you for sharing!

**photon** · May 15, 2021, 09:41 AM

Tale care, my condolences.

**NancyTree** · May 15, 2021, 03:11 PM

I love the birds! the redstart is beautiful and the indigo bunting has indeed an intens color!

**Anek** · May 15, 2021, 03:19 PM

Beautiful!

**Rainbow Dragon** · May 16, 2021, 01:35 AM

Some of today's birds:

Blackburnian Warbler (male)

Bay-breasted Warbler (male)

Black-throated Green Warbler (male)

Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler (female)

Blue-headed Vireo

**Rainbow Dragon** · May 16, 2021, 01:37 AM

My next post will contain photographs of a decently large ophidian. Be forewarned (if that is something that freaks you out).

**Rainbow Dragon** · May 16, 2021, 02:02 AM

While cleaning up my yard this afternoon I was happy to stumble upon this beauty:

This was the first live Eastern Foxsnake I have seen in my neighbourhood in a few years. They are an endangered species here, so I was very happy to see they are still managing to hold on to the neighbourhood, in spite of all the construction we have had here recently.

The white measuring stick is 4 feet in length. Stretched out long, this snake would easily be 5 feet long -- a good size for a mature foxsnake!

The scale pattern on Eastern Foxsnakes superficially resembles that of the Massasauga Rattlesnake (Ontario's only extant poisonous snake). Unfortunately, this resemblance sometimes leads to the persecution and killing of Eastern Foxsnakes, which are harmless to humans. (Massassaugas are also not much of a threat since they are both shy and docile and will either freeze to avoid detection or slither away from a human interloper whenever possible. A rattlesnake will only bite a human as a last resort, and even then the human usually survives. Only two people are known to have died from rattlesnake bites in Ontario, and both bites occurred over 40 years ago.)

Live long and prosper, my friend.

**CODawn** · May 16, 2021, 03:15 PM

Cool pictures!

**Mianevem** · May 16, 2021, 06:20 PM

That snake's a beauty!

**Anek** · May 16, 2021, 06:21 PM

Very cool!

**Colin** · May 17, 2021, 07:57 AM

Wow!

**Trbrat75** · May 17, 2021, 10:27 AM

love all the picks! I have had a male rose breasted grosbeak visiting my feeder recently!

**sleep_twitch** · May 17, 2021, 12:14 PM

The snake is a real beauty!

Rainbow Dragon's Dares

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