Bovinian Rhapsody

Birdhouse Eviction

I recently went to clean my Bluebird house from the nest of Wrens that produced 7 healthy fledglings.

 But it wasn't empty.

A new tenant had taken up residence.

A small snake had made the empty Wren's nest home.

I didn't recognize what type of snake he was but I knew we didn't want him in the birdhouse.

So I grabbed an arrow and knocked the nest to the ground.

The snake quickly slithered away into the nearby woods.

Later I looked him up by comparing the pictures I took to snakes native to the area. Turns out he is a juvenile Eastern Rat Snake (Scotophis Alleghaniensis).

It will mature into a large constricting snake that will be 6 feet in length or greater and be shiny black in color.  Eastern Rat Snakes are not venomous, but may bite if handled carelessly. Rat snakes are relatively slow moving and will most often freeze when first encountering danger. This is why so many are killed on our roadways. They are excellent climbers and do get quite long. I've caught and handled these snakes in the past and just thought of them as Black snakes. Learn something new every day... 

China Building World's Largest Radio Telescope

A 3D rendering of the proposed Radio Telescope in China that is currently under construction.

Read the full story HERE.

Lucky Charms and Bullet Holes: Medevac Missions in Afghanistan

A US Navy critical care nurse cares for a soldier with stab wounds on a Medevac helicopter north of Forward Operating Base Edi in Afghanistan.

Photo by Kevin Frayer/Associated Press

U.S. Army flight medic SGT Jaime Adame, top, cares for seriously wounded Marine CPL. Andrew Smith following an insurgent attack.

Photo by Kevin Frayer/AP

U.S Army medic SSgt. Bob Winchester of Alaska, from Task Force Lift “Dust Off”, Charlie Company 1-214 Aviation Regiment.

 AP Photo/Kevin Frayer

A United States Marine who was wounded in an explosion from an IED is carried to a U.S. Army medevac Blackhawk helicopter from Task Force Lift “Dust Off” Charlie Company 1-214 Aviation Regiment, as he is evacuated from an area north of Sangin District, in the volatile Helmand Province of southern Afghanistan.

(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

The "Dustoff" helicopters are distinguished with the emblem of the Red Cross and under international law are supposed to be off-limits to enemy fire.

Afghanistan's insurgents make no distinction.

Read more about "Dust Off" Medevac missions HERE & HERE.