Rose Cottage Ltd

I was taking a stroll around the lake early this morning. It’s so nice in North Carolina this time of year – not too hot, not too cold and today, no 20+mph wind like we’ve had lately.

I first spotted several pair of Wood Ducks.

There had been some dozen wood ducks hanging around this corner of the lake when I first ventured out. They are a bit skittish though so I figured they had taken off when they saw the “paparazzi” approaching yet again.

However, as I got closer to that edge, I noticed this…

Say what you want, but ducks are apparently NOT stupid!

They took one look at this Northern Water snake – pretending to be a stick, and said, “See you!” Pun intended!

There is one particular reader of this blog who will NOT be happy to see this post, but I wouldn’t be honest about the pros and cons of country living if I didn’t share all the details.

The good news about this snake is that it is not poisonous and never comes much further than in this photo – out of the water. The other fact is that until that rip-rap, (aka big, heavy rocks!) you see at the water’s edge, was added, I never saw one of these snakes. They like to lay on the rip-rap once it’s warmed by the sun so we’ve inadvertently provided them a summer resort – of sorts. Weighing the benefits of retaining the lake edge versus the occasional non-poisonous snake, the rip-rap was still a good and necessary idea.

The bad news is that this snake looks rather fat to me. Hopefully it is not a “she” and in nesting mode.

“Film at eleven” on that I guess….