March 06 – My Nature Journal
March 06, 2026 Nature Journal
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
I have a soft spot in my heart for raptors of all types and Red-tailed Hawks are one of my favorite species.
First, I appreciate their size.
Compared to the Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), which is the next largest hawk I see frequently, the average Red-tailed Hawk is about 4% longer in body length and has a 20% longer wing span. The size difference is even greater between the average Red-tailed Hawk and the average Cooper’s Hawk (Astur cooperii), which is only crow-sized; the Red-tailed is about 25% longer in body length and 69% broader in wing span.
Second, I enjoy the sheer wildness they project.
Unlike their Cooper’s and Red-shouldered Hawk cousins, Red-tailed Hawks hunt open areas. They either perch on high trees or soar in wide, sweeping circles for long periods high in the air and watch the ground far below for rabbits, rodents, snakes, squirrels, and other prey animals with their phenomenally sharp eyes.
Once spotted, Red-tailed Hawks stoop sharply, drop down on their prey, and finish off their hapless meals with large, curved, sharp talons.
Third, I always appreciate an easily identifiable wild animal.
Identifying the animals that I encounter on my nature walks brings me joy and one can hardly wish for a more distinctive hawk than an adult Red-tailed Hawk.
These birds get their common English name from the magnificent, bright rust-red tail feathers developed by the adults.
Red-tailed Hawks fly with their tail feathers spread into beautiful fans. Seeing these hawks soar through the air with their red tails gleaming is a truly beautiful sight.
DeKay’s Brown Snake
Storeria dekayi
After years of nature journaling and walking through natural areas entranced by every single wild creature I see, snakes don’t scare me very much.
Well, scratch that.
Some snakes scare the daylights out of me (I’m looking at you, venomous rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths, and big-enough-to-kill-adult-alligators constrictors) and most snakes don’t scare my conscious mind that much after I know they’re there.
But all snakes scare my unconscious mind in that split second after I spot them and before my logical mind catches up.
So it was with this small snake today.
There I was, striding along without a care in the world and paying attention to everything except where I was putting my feet (never the best idea ever but in my defense, I was on a paved trail). But in the split second before my foot hit the ground in my next step, I glanced down and spotted this little guy. Without conscious thought, I jumped back about three feet (an impressive distance, if I may so) then immediately retreated another few feet so as not to scare the little reptile away.
Naturally, I wanted to take his picture.
He was very agreeable and remained motionless as I crouched and zoomed in with my telephoto lens. When I straightened up, he slithered quickly off the trail and disappeared into the grassy verge.
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
Since I’m not a fisherman, I don’t often get to see the fish that inhabit my favorite lakes.
Most often, I catch only fleeting glimpses of flailing tail fins as hapless fish get swallowed whole by Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) and Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritum). Sometimes, I’m lucky enough to catch sight of fish clutched tightly in the talons of Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) as the birds carry off their fish to high trees.
But many fisherman fish along the shores of this lake and, as luck would have it (for me at least, not necessarily this fish), a woman pulled this Largemouth Bass out of the water just as I passed by.
This was a true beaut of a Largemouth Bass; big, bulky, with a huge, gaping mouth, and sharp spines jutting from its split dorsal fin. The woman was gracious enough to let me snap this photo of her catch, and I’m very grateful. I’ve blanked out her face in this photograph as I didn’t get her permission to show her face, nor did I even ask her name.
Clearly, I lost my manners in my excitement over seeing this fantastic fish up close.
I hereby apologize to you, whoever you are, and thank you so much for letting me admire and photograph your fish.
You clearly have rad fishing skills!
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Pond Turtles
Family Emydidae
Pond turtles of various species were everywhere at the lake today, basking in the ninety degree temperatures. On days like this, I always enjoy watching the turtles of various sizes jostle for position on the basking logs.
While the largest turtles usually win such contests thanks to their sheer bulk, I watched some diminutive turtles force their larger brethren face-first into the water by coming up from beneath and essentially levering the larger turtles off the logs.
Today’s Nature Journal Snapshot
Today was one of those ridiculously hot, spring days that we’re experiencing more and more often.
While the official records for today showed a high temperature of only 83 degrees, the thermometer I carry showed a temperature of 90 degrees by the end of my nature walk. While the humidity has not yet risen to the swamp-like level I’ll experience in my area during mid to late summer, I was still uncomfortably hot.
But at least I got to see lots of wildlife today. There are compensations.
|
Time of Day |
Mid-afternoon |
|
Setting |
Large lake |
|
Temperature |
83° F / 28° C |
|
Weather |
Sunny |
|
Humidity |
41% |
