Snakes and catbirds and hawks! Oh my!

"The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness." - John Muir

So it's not a bird but oh well it's cool anyway. :-) This is a juvenile Banded Watersnake I saw today, after volunteering at the nature preserve. It was about 6 inches long, though it's kind of hard to tell from the picture.

Not far past the watersnake, I saw a Gray Catbird. I've already seen one this year, but surprisingly, this is the first time I've ever gotten a picture of one. They're interesting birds; not very subtle. They just sort of crash around in the palmettos and "meow" occasionally.

And lastly, a Red-Shouldered Hawk was calling loudly from a tree far back in the woods. I'm thinking it might have a nest around there somewhere; it was in the same place the hawks nested last year. So, I'll have to keep my eyes open.

Also saw some more Swallow-tailed Kites today, too. They're all over the place now.

Happy birding!