Snakes Alive!

I was trying to take a decent picture of this lovely flower, called Rose of Plymouth,  growing by the East River where B was fishing. The light was too harsh, so I gave up and went to sit on the dry spill dam.

As I sat there, I was watching a little bird that I did not identify, run around near the flower. Then I noticed that it was not alone. There was a water snake working the shallows for a lunch.

It was very active and I watched with binoculars to determine that it was not a moccasin, even though it flattened its head into the characteristic triangle.

Later that same afternoon, we came upon this young diamond back rattler crossing the road, just a few miles away. It was about four years old.

As we got closer, it was almost to the grass. It turned and lifted its head in a threatening way. A car came up behind us and we moved on, and so did the snake.