Before the day heats up

[tamrock]

I took a walk with the dogs early this morning before the sun heats everything up. I saw this Kestrel having it's breakfast in a tree on what looked like a little field mouse. These hot air balloons have been giving folks rides that go over my house now for maybe 20 years now?. Some day I'm going to go up in one. Maybe this fall I'll pop on the $250. I think it cost to take a ride. I see this new sign today warning of rattle snakes along the pathways. I'm not sure, but I think someone is either mistaken a bull snake for a rattler or they're trying to detour folks from leaving their dogs run free off the leash? I've lived now close to 28 years back against this open space and I've just about covered every inch of it and have never seen a sign of any rattler. I know I have seen many bull snake and some are pretty good sized. Maybe they're just doing this to keep free running dogs from harassing their chickens?

 

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[BosnMate]

To some people every snake is a rattle snake.

 

[Old Dude]

Balloon rides must be cheaper there than here. I forget what they cost now but I was very surprised when I found out. My gf has been wanting to go for a bit now. The Philly zoo has one but it is tethered. They take you straight up and you get a great view of the city. That was much cheaper for us Awesome kestrel pics!

 

[tamrock]

To some people every snake is a rattle snake.

I know.
BEWARE DO NOT APPROACH. Duh! :-(

 

[austin]

No signs down here. Guess no rattlers in Texas huh?

 

[kcm]

No signs down here. Guess no rattlers in Texas huh?

No, just that Texans have better sense than to disturb a rattler....unless they're having it for dinner.

As for the rest of the people in Texas....well, why do YOU think there are no signs?!?!?

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Kestrels are beautiful birds. Hope you get a chance soon for a closer pic!

 

[tamrock]

No, just that Texans have better sense than to disturb a rattler....unless they're having it for dinner.

As for the rest of the people in Texas....well, why do YOU think there are no signs?!?!? View attachment 1339696

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Kestrels are beautiful birds. Hope you get a chance soon for a closer pic!

A better camera would have got a much better picture from the distance I was at, but a camera like that wouldn't have fit in my pocket either. Maybe someday I'll move up to something better. The Kestrel did fly away as soon as he was finished eating. What ever it was eating it sure gobbled it up quick.

 

[tamrock]

No signs down here. Guess no rattlers in Texas huh?

You know looking at the ground in the picture of this snake it does look like the ground in some areas of the open space. Maybe they are around? Can you tell what kind of rattle snake that is in the picture? They do have an official sign for the coyote in the open space, with a nice drawing of what they look like.

 

[kcm]

Coyotes?!?!? I wouldn't have thought them to be so bad. But then, never been in a more populated area with coyotes around.

 

[tamrock]

They have been known to jump on small children around hear. They're way different acting then a coyote in the rural areas. I could pull my truck over to stop by a coyote a 16th of a mile away in sage country and it wouldn't waste a second to get a move on. They know out there if a vehicle stops odds are a bullet is the next thing to come their way.

 

[RGINN]

You might be right about the bull snake idea. You know they will vibrate that tail and in dead leaves it gives off a pretty fair rattler imitation. Then again, what better way to keep the greenhorns out of places you don't want them and on the straight and clearly marked path? Some years ago when I was down at Ft. Union, they had signs telling you to stay on the paved path and not venture from it to explore the structures due to rattlesnakes. Lo and behold I did spot a young rattler coiled beside the path. And I watched it, and watched it, and then I just reached down and picked it up and it was fake. So I put it back. It was a great taxidermy job though, better than the stuffed rattler I've got.