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                                            Victims of the Alligators of Carolina WARNING: THESE PHOTOS MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN OR THOSE  INDIVIDUALS SENSITIVE TO ANIMALS HUNTING AND FEEDING ON OTHER ANIMALS                                                  RELAXING IN SOUTH CAROLINA If you embrace the hypothesis some naturalists embrace that the relationship between the numerous alligators that populate the south and shore birds is mostly symbiotic, this may shock you.  It's true that many of the birds in the southeast prefer to build their nests over water and alligators resultantly cruise those waters preventing racoons and snakes from getting to the birds eggs and chicks. That would indicate a relationship that benefits both....

This was the gist of the ticker that caught my eye on tv during WPDEs news today.  Occasionally alligators make their way into the ocean, which of course makes the news so I wasn't completely surprised. Scientists hypothesize they do this to shake off the barnacles, while others think it's to find food. So this ticker today was no surprise, also taking into consideration that a lot of people get pets for their children to enjoy during vacation.  Then they let them go, presumably to "thrive" in the wild, though thriving is usually not what happens.   There's no end to the unusual but logical reasons a Boa Constrictor would be found on a SC beach. Turns out however, that I missed "Ford," which followed "Beach," but making this headline even more intriguing.  Even more interesting was that the snake was identified as a rare Albino Boa from South America, according to WPDE.  Curious for the details, I visited the WPDE website for the full story and...

I chose this photo to post at my profile because -like so many of my friends and followers, and hopefully me, there's so much more to it than meets the eye.  Literally. This annual migration means tens of thousands of birds fly thousands of miles to stop over every year like clockwork to refuel at this very spot.  The mountain ranges seen in the distance to the East and the West will drain melted snow - or not, and thereby dictate the success or failing of the many species that rely on this stopover every year.  I deliberately didn't edit, tweak, or photoshop this photo so read on why it's so important.   You'll see Snow Geese and Ross's Geese, species of ducks, and sandhill cranes to name a few, enjoying their layover, swimming side by side while they rest and refuel with much needed water and nutrition. Each season brings in new and different species of waterfowl and land animals to this unique section of the Rio Grande, all dependent upon our fragile climate ...

During the Pandemic, I hunkered down and decided to expand my little outside corner of the planet into something that could keep my hands and mind occupied but away from the stresses plaguing us all. I dug in, literally and studied and perfected a wildlife garden that to this day provides a wonderful and rewarding respite. In my efforts, I discovered a rather surprising and heretofore unrecognized gem in the world of wildlife gardening.  Palm trees of all things, especially the flowering Jelly Palms add a lot more than beauty and atmosphere to your landscape. The stately palm remains beautiful but also stays the same through most of the year, including the cold months in the deep south.  Suddenly however, sometime in Spring or Summer-depending on the particular species, a long pod develops on this particular palm, and then slowly begins drooping toward the ground.  After a short time, this 3ish foot long pod will suddenly pop open to reveal this beautiful spray of intrigu...