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...

As fall segues into winter one cannot help but miss the plaintive and beautiful flute song of the Wood Thrush. They're back home now and it is with some anticipation that I await them each spring. As I've moved into my new & last home (7 years ago), I have naturalized the yard, letting the oak leaves mulch my now extensive gardens. What I've found is that Thrushes will oftentimes use the property for a few days, and that is indeed a treat. While the Wood Thrush is a quite common woodland resident in our local woods, it's nice to see them on the property. What has been icing on the cake is that as the woodlands have progressed on my property I have also had the pleasure of hosting Swainson's Thursh and Grey Cheeked over the last few springs (the GC was here but for a couple of hours). On the downside, I had 3 Hermit Thrush window kills this fall. While that's disheartening, it's a pretty good indicator that the neighborhood is still getting plenty of birds (I'm but a mile from the beach). It's funny when I walk our neighborhood in May, and folks tell me they saw a cardinal or a bluejay. I smile. If they only knew of the beauty and magnificence of spring migration, maybe they wouldn't cut down the trees that many new homeowners seem hellbent on doing when they move into my neighborhood. It's like a compelling itch that they have to scratch. Well, off of my soapbox for now. I hate to have to tell all of you this, but their (Wood Thrush) numbers are falling and have been for the last 20 years (blame deerbrowse and the lack of an understory). Give thanks this week to our natural world. And help educate those who don't know..... All the best Ted

First, Rachel your photos are INCREDIBLE!! And thanks for the info. I don't think I've seen a wood thrush from your explanation, just the Brown Thrasher. Hey Donna, here we are another year...hope it's a quiet one :) Anyway, last year a Brown Thrasher made a nest in the most unlikely place IMO. In a abelia bush (attracts bees) right next to the steps from the deck to the ground, the steps that my husband and I and 4 dogs pass CLOSELY every day, several times a day. Somedays I'd just see the beak of the one on the nest. There were 3 eggs but only 1 hatched. One day the 3 eggs were there, the next day just 1. The baby thrasher was cute as cute could be. I watched it takes its first 'tumble' out of the nest and then it's first flight. My DH cut back the bush TOO MUCH (I said 'trim it.' Grrrr......... Oh well, maybe it will find a place to nest where I can still watch it. Now if I can only find the wood thrush who's singing the non-thraster/mocker/catbird song. Do they nest like the thrashers and robins do? Thanks again, Linda...

Did it have that black line between his beak and his eye? If so, it was probably a Northern Mockingbird. I know I'm still seeing them around here.