So, this morning I was in the Portal yard chopping out some more bamboo when I heard a bunch of birds making a ruckus in a bush just outside our fence. I knew it meant either an owl or a snake was being mobbed. There were thrashers, cactus wrens, a pyrrhuloxia and a couple of tiny little house wrens leaping around in this bush squawking away. The tiny wrens were most aggressive, getting right down on the ground and displaying, so maybe the snake had eaten one of their young, I don't know, but when I spotted the snake it was coiled up sound asleep without a care in the world. All the birds finally decided it wasn't worth bothering with, except one little wren who kept at it for several minutes more before leaving the area. I love being tuned in with my wild neighbors so I recognize an alarm and can find what the commotion is all about. :)
Rattlesnake resting comfortably under a bush.
A tiny house wren fearlessly tried to intimidate the snake to no avail. The snake was relaxing and was unmoved by the commotion.
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