Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: monitor

May 1st, 2011 was the start of Snake Monitoring in a local park. We get both the Red-sided Garter Snake and the Wandering Garter Snake - thankfully, not the size seen in my macro photo, lol! Each snake was measured and, starting that year, weighed (i.e. gently placed in a tall plastic container which was then placed on a scale). They were also marked behind the head with green felt marker of some kind, so that we could tell if we got a recaptured snake. The monitoring season started late that year because of the endless winter. I didn't check how many snakes were found and recorded (my guess would be about a dozen+), but just as we were leaving the area, one of the team members did a great job of spotting two mating balls high on the slope, barely visible amongst the trees, shrubs and dead leaves. We left them alone, of course. On our first day of monitoring the previous year, we had 107 snakes to catch (not me, I only took photos, if I got the chance!) and record!! The reason that I originally joined this program was to see if it would help me be less fearful of snakes - they are most definitely not my favourite things. Just imagine being afraid and having 107 snakes slithering down the hillside towards where you were standing, ha!

Each year, a very experienced Mountain Bluebird monitor, Don Stiles, takes a few of us out on his Bluebird route, SW of the city. Population numbers for this beautiful species have continued to drop year after year, despite the dedicated monitors who have their own routes to check on. This outing gives me the chance to see something that I normally never see and to take a handful of photos that I would otherwise not be able to get. Thanks, Don!