More Unique Visitors – Day 298

American Toad – Photo: L. Weikel

More Unique Visitors

Each day that I’ve spent at the creek this week, I’ve been given the pleasure of entertaining and observing more unique visitors.

From ospreys flying directly overhead twice (and squawking to get my attention) to water snakes, American toads to eagles flying upstream, Northern Copperhead snakes to juvenile Red-tailed Hawks, every single day has yielded an incredible gift of special connection with the animal kingdom.

I wasn’t quick enough on the draw to capture a photo of the eagle flying low over the roiling creek a few days ago. But I did manage to persuade the Copperhead to allow me to photograph her from a variety of angles (and not get annoyed).

Different Ones Each Day

It wasn’t as if the same creatures visited each day, either. Yes, there was some overlap – I believe vultures showed up a couple of times – but mostly it was as if each creature was taking a turn at representing their peeps.

For instance, I was quite surprised to meet this handsome little American Toad hanging out at the fire pit today.  Sporting a rust-colored overcoat, he was much flashier than his neutral-toned toad cousins (which came in miniature and Big Mama sizes and had visited two days ago).

I had to laugh when I looked at the photo I took. Sure looks like he’s flashing the “I’m ok!” sign at me. Perhaps he was reassuring me that he intends to avoid that stealthy, obviously well-fed Copperhead. I’d actually wondered aloud whether the snake had already snagged the three toads I’d seen the day before my ‘herpetological close encounter.’

Then just as the sun was setting this evening, a Blue Heron decided to look for dinner just downstream of me.

I took note of the exquisite patience with which it stood absolutely still for minutes at a time as it stared into the Tohickon, and I consciously made a point of trying to exercise that same patience in observing it. I was richly rewarded. Ever so slowly, the tall, sleak bird waded across the stream and then hopped onto a rock jutting into the water.

It seemed to snack on some smaller fare, perhaps minnows or those very small fish that seem to populate the eddies and quieter parts of the creek that are surrounded by some of the boulders. Still hungry, Blue Heron slowly and carefully picked its way up along the opposite side of the creek from me – either unaware of my presence or deliberately ignoring me. I was doing my best to be as stealthy and unmoving as it was when it was stalking its prey.

Finally, it had had enough. Deciding a more substantial dinner might better be found downstream, it bent its stalk-like legs which then launched it into flight. I was indeed rewarded for my patience, and once again awed by the generosity with which nature surrounded and welcomed me.

P.S.: By the way, this is a super site to use if you ever need to identify a snake, frog, lizard, salamander, turtle, or other such creature in Pennsylvania.

(T-813)