Well...I appreciate all your responses, and I'm going to assume it's a common garter snake...for my OWN peace of mind...LOL I believe he was so grumpy because of the flash from the camera...it probably scared the bejeezus out of'm. Plus...I'm wondering if it isn't the onset of hibernation time. I mean, afterall, he WAS way down under some pretty hard, clay covered by about 4" of mulch. He was probably sleeping...or getting his last full meal of night crawlers when I uncovered him. *I'm in SE PA, not Florida at the moment. He's gone now and I don't know where...hehehe...but I covered the hole back up with the mulch. BTW: When I let Picture it! automatically tweak the color and brightness levels, the colors of the snake were changed a bit. Here are two pics showing actual color...

Looks like what I've been seeing in the stores lately called Opuntia Emerald Wave. Who knows what that means;)?Maybe Opuntia cochenillifera. I've seen that on Opuntias, well I've seen it on some of mine, where the new growth looks dehydrated. Once the pad gets bigger it should plump up.Remember these guys can take the sun. The more sun the merrier for this plant;).

Your concern for your hummingbirds is understandable! Based on your description, it sounds like you're dealing with a native species of praying mantis in Pennsylvania. The absence of wings in your photo indicates that it's likely a young mantis, as you mentioned. To be certain about the species and potential threat to your hummingbirds, you might want to reach out to local entomologists or wildlife experts. They can provide accurate identification and advice on how to manage the situation without harming the mantis, which is beneficial for natural pest control.

So we're going with field mustard. If there were livestock in this field they would he kept it cleaned up. 10 days after my OP and not a flower left. Am thinking a high today of 91°F means mustard blooming is finished.