Thamnophis radix

Though not the first snakes I've seen this year, they were the first I found while looking for them.  Again I visit one of the very few local spots I know of that contain numerous snakes of at least two species.  It's strange to think that seeing these animals really makes my day; most people think I'm nuts, but the fact that these animals can thrive in small pockets of habitat within heavily developed areas of the city is amazing.

The plains garter, Thamnophis radix, is usually more docile than their common counterpart, the Eastern garter (Thamnophis sirtalis).  Today, I ran into one that was very defensive and it bit repeatedly.  Fortunately, it was just a young one, no blood drawn.

A bigger one.

As always, I found some brown snakes (Storeria dekayi) as well.

This one looks to be hypomelanistic.

Some scenes in and around the snakes' habitat.

It's the time of year for slimies (again)

Hiked a few miles today through two local forest preserves (Cook County).  It's always a bittersweet trek - I am sad to see careless degradation of the preserves by litterbugs and invasive species out of control, but am thrilled each time I discover threatened native species of herptiles and find signs of ecological restoration in progress.

The spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer).

There's something about slugs and snails that really draws me to them.  They definitely have a very innocent lifestyle as detritivores and seem to just live life at their own, slow pace.

Another foray into the Oxbow Prairie.  This photo illustrates the low wetlands and the sloping prairie beyond it.

Woodland recently subjected to prescribed burns.  The smell of char was still quite heavy in the air, especially as the humidity was high.

Fog

Union Ridge Cemetery

Union Ridge Cemetery is located on the Northwest Side of Chicago, on the glacial ridge known as Union Ridge (hence the name).  It is a small, old, and relatively poorly-maintained graveyard, mainly the resting place of early settlers and 19th/early 20th century Chicagoans and immigrants.  It predates most other cemeteries in the area and the vast majority of houses within miles.  There is a small section dedicated to Civil War veterans, complete with an old cannon.  It is within easy biking distance from my house, so I often visit here for a little "off-roading" (the rough gravel road is heavily potholed and bumpy; I never ride off the road).  I have visited here often and have photographed here before (see http://thejosecshow.blogspot.com/2011/03/dramatic-juxtoposition.html), but this morning I woke up to see a thick fog rolling in so I thought I'd try to catch some eerie moments with my camera, but as luck would have it, I didn't quite get the effect I wanted (mostly because the cemetery is located on the higher end of the ridge and the fog tends to roll downward).  Still, I spent about a half hour here and thought I'd share a few shots of the place, including a few that portray its neglected character.

Oxbow Prairie

Interestingly, of all the ecological restoration sites on the North Branch of the Chicago River in Cook County, this area is the least familiar to me.  I returned Saturday morning at sunrise, after having visited the area the week before and being greeted by a freshly-awaken garter snake.  I didn't have my camera with me that day so I used my camera phone to document our meeting.

So Saturday I decided to kind of scout the Oxbow Prairie. This is an area roughly surrounded by was was once a northern loop of the Chicago River.  It contains both low wetlands and a sloping prairie hill.  The entire area was once part of the Bunker Hill Country Club, which functioned from the 1920's until the late 50's/early 60's.  Most of what was once country club land has been developed as an interconnected series of picnic groves.  These areas are bustling throughout the spring and summer months as tens of thousands use the area for parties, picnics, and other social functions.  The Oxbow Prairie was also treated this way until conservationists stepped in to dedicate the area as natural area due to its fragile nature.  Now, semi-cutoff from the rest of the preserve, this area sees considerably less traffic and has been restored to a great extent.  Here are a few shots from my very early morning visit (I can only get there so early, as the gates are locked until the CCFP guys unlock them).

Nearby, an old staircase that leads to nowhere (this was the site of a home a long time ago).

Hot winter day

How do you beat the heat in mid-March in Chicago?  You go outside and find some shade, maybe snap a few photos of the plethora of premature life in the backyard.  80 degrees and it's still technically winter.  Unbelievable.

                                                                           Ants & Centipede

Chicago Ave.

Yet another rusty, vandalized trestle.  However, this one is still in use (well, half of it at least).

So much for that...

Fungus among us.