A bumble bee (upper left) shares space with an American Lady on the asters in Catch the Wind.

In typical garter snake fashion, this one flattened its self in an effort to appear more threatening.

An Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) was seen slowly crossing the path in Explore the Wild near the Red Wolf Exhibit. The cool shade of the path made this snake’s movements rather sluggish. It appeared to be heading for its winter quarters and was seen about 30 minutes later in the mulch below the cedars behind the kiosk of that exhibit, a distance of about about 15 feet.

There were numerous school groups in the area yesterday and many kids and chaperons got good looks at the snake.

Another snake seen yesterday near the Dinosaur Trail was most likely a Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi). I didn’t get a look at the snake myself, but from the description given me by a school teacher who happened to see the snake, Brown Snake is a good bet. I often see them at this time of year, as well as in the early spring, as they move to and from their summer and winter quarters.

In an attempt to scare off we humans that were watching it, the garter snake flattened and broadened its head trying to appear more "potent."

A late bloomer for sure, Mahonia is starting to take off on the Dinosaur Trail. This plant, along with Fatsia, also on the Dinosaur Trail, blooms in late fall and early winter in our area. If you miss the summer and its numerous insects, if you’re feeling as though you need an insect fix, take a walk up to the Dino Trail in the next few weeks, you’ll probably see bees, flies, and certainly ants crawling and hovering over the flowers of these late bloomers.

One of two late season flowering plants on the Dino Trail, Mahonia is just starting to bloom.

And, a parting shot…

The garter snake in the mulch, waiting for me to depart so that it can carry on with its travels.

Have a good one,

Misty morning in the Wetlands.

Dwarf Sumac holds on to its crimson leaves while many of the other trees and shrubs are bare.

Although much of the color has faded, what remains glows in the morning mist.

A small maple brightens up the otherwise dark and leafless Wetlands.

Although many plants have ceased production for the year, others are just getting started. Fatsia, or Japanese Aralia, is now blooming on the Dinosaur Trail. It attracts many late season insects to its rounded flower clusters.

Fatsia's flowers are reminiscent of Buttonbush's ball-shaped flowers.

Fatsia is considered a shrub and its multi-lobed leaves are green the year round.

Fatsia's large, showy leaves are green in all seasons.

Mahonia, another plant with Oriental roots, is just beginning to bloom. This plant is found in several locations around the outdoor exhibits, although it is most prominently displayed on the Dinosaur Trail.

Mahonia is just starting to bloom on the Dinosaur Trail. It's holly-like leaves are green all year.

The bright yellow flowers of Mahonia will produce deep purple berries in late winter-spring.

Some plants are in the process of disbursing their seeds. Groundsel Tree (a woody shrub) can be seen around the Wetlands as well as on the Dinosaur Trail. Its wind-borne seeds can be carried far from the plant on which they were produced.

Groundsel Tree's fluffy seeds are disbursed by the wind.

Although somewhat smaller, Groundsel Tree's seeds look much like Milkweed seeds with their silken threads. The light fluffy filaments allow the wind to carry the seeds some distance from the mother plant.